Dumfries and Galloway Council is responsible for the delivery of all local authority services to nearly 149,000 people living in the urban and rural areas of the region. We also play a key role on the Dumfries and Galloway Community Planning Partnership and, with our partners, are working to make the region the best place to live, learn, work, visit and grow.
Experienced leader of people and services - believes in local government and the people who take responsibility for it. Haven't got it cracked yet. Still learning.
What careers in Construction can offer … big thank you to Rachael Topping and colleagues Morgan Sindall Group plc for the high quality learning and work inspiration activities made available to our pupils.
Young people benefit so much from real life experiences about what is available beyond school. How can they aspire to something if they cannot imagine it?
It takes thought, time and partnership to create these opportunities but if employers really want to attract a workforce for the future and promote their sector - it makes sense to invest.
Speak to us Dumfries and Galloway CouncilAlison ChambersNeil McIntyreMo Agoun BSc MIET DYW Dumfries & Galloway
Young Women Leading Change Across the UK!
United Youth Alliance (UYA), in collaboration with Youth Action Northern Ireland, Dumfries and Galloway Youth Service, and Newport Council Play and Youth Service, is building a Four Nations Collaboration of Young Women—a powerful social action movement driving change for equity and gender parity across the UK.
💡 Third Annual Conference: A Milestone for Change
Young women from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales recently gathered, in Wales, for our third annual conference, crafting a five-year strategy to break down barriers, amplify voices, and take action on gender inequality.
⚡ But we need your support! ⚡
To take this movement forward, we are actively seeking investment, funding, and sponsorship to:
✅ Develop leadership programs for young women
✅ Expand mentorship & networking opportunities
✅ Address systemic barriers to gender parity
✅ Drive forward policy change
📊 Why This Matters – The Reality in 2024
🔹 Gender Pay Gap: 7.7% (and widening)
🔹 FTSE 100 Female CEOs: Just 10%
🔹 VC Funding for Female Founders: Only 2%
(Source: ONS, The Times, FT)
📢 Young Women Taking Action!
Young women from UYA’s network are attending Parliament, next week, to lobby MPs and drive forward solutions to create real, lasting impact.
🔗 Plan International’s 2024 State of Girls' Rights Report shows that:
❌ 93% of young women do not feel completely safe in public spaces
❌ 70% believe societal expectations are holding them back
❌ 20% feel uncertain about their future prospects
💥 Join Us – Let’s Build a Future of Equality!
We are calling on businesses, funders, policymakers, and changemakers to support this movement. Your investment can transform opportunities for young women across the UK.
📩 Get in touch with Deborah Terras: Deborah.terras@uyacic.org
🌍 Find out more:
🔹 United Youth Alliance (UYA)
🔹 Youth Action Northern Ireland
🔹 Dumfries and Galloway Youth Service
🔹 Newport Council Play and Youth Service
🔁 Like, share, and tag someone who should see this! Let’s work together for a future of equity, opportunity, and leadership for all young women! ✨ #GenderEquity#WomenInLeadership#SocialAction#FutureLeaders#InvestInYoungWomenThe #iWill Movement#iWill Movement Social Mobility CommissionThe Centre for Social JusticeAimi O'DonnellDeborah Terras (she/her)
Experienced leader of people and services - believes in local government and the people who take responsibility for it. Haven't got it cracked yet. Still learning.
The worlds largest schools pipe band competition was held last weekend and our pupils - led and tutored by the South of Scotland Piping and Drumming Academy - were 3rd in their highly competitive field. Due to success last year they were competing in a higher category. Also new for this year were kilts - don’t they look great and such excitement at the fittings . I recognise the SSPDA is a charitable organisation with a low budget - and through their skill and commitment they have tutored our young people from various schools to compete against very established school bands. These experiences can be life changing for young people Dumfries and Galloway Council
🎶🎼music making is a central part of many D&G communities - and the schools and our instrumental music service need and want to work together with local bands. We will hear them play at our spring and summer festivals. #thrivingcommunities
We are so proud of our pipers and drummer ( and their families) and grateful thanks to SSPDA and their main funders #holywoodtrust#barfiltrust#sspdt
Experienced leader of people and services - believes in local government and the people who take responsibility for it. Haven't got it cracked yet. Still learning.
Our D&G CARezone Collaborative ❤️💔❤️
Around 100 people a year in Dumfries and Galloway suffer an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Sadly, some of these recently have been very close to home - colleagues, friends and family. The survival rate depends on the time taken to get help and in rural areas that’s not always easy.
Privilege to establish the D&G CARezone Collaborative with the Scottish Ambulance Service, Dumfries and Galloway CouncilNHS DUMFRIES & GALLOWAYRodger Hill SaveALifeScotland - we hope others will join us. More information on what this means, how folk can help and what support is available is now being collated - watch this space on how to spread the word.
CARezones bring communities, data and skills together to support first responders and the ambulance service when people have a cardiac arrest out of hospital when time to defib is critical to survival.
We have so many wonderful and resilient communities - and so much already in place. Our CARezone collaborative will coordinate and use our joint local knowledge to provide and promote CPR training in all our schools and communities; signpost people to the GoodSam App; make sure our defibrillators are registered to The Circuit so emergency services know where they are and that we use the PAD tracker to know where new defibrillators will make most impact.
We know our communities in D&G will rally round to Save A Life
So proud to be part of this new initiative!
The young women’s mentoring programme was developed to give our young women in Dumfries and Galloway positive female role models, allowing them to develop knowledge and confidence and give them power when it comes to making choices in their own lives! 💪🏼
Happy international women's day!
#IWD2025#Mentoring#DGYoungWomen
Experienced leader of people and services - believes in local government and the people who take responsibility for it. Haven't got it cracked yet. Still learning.
Its Scottish Apprenticeship week- timely to congratulate our Dumfries and Galloway Council colleague Scott Brown for his Graduate Apprenticeship achieved earlier this year. Scott is a brilliant example of the apprenticeship route - coming to work for the council straight from school as a modern apprentice now completing his honours degree - all while working for the education HQ team
It’s a win-win way to study - as employers we benefit from supporting existing staff to build their skills and qualifications, and graduate apprentices achieve a degree while still being able to earn from full time work.
Well done Scott we are really proud of you !
Congratulations to all the finalists at the D&G life awards last night - described as a ‘colourful celebration of the vibrancy and worth of the people of the region’ . The common thread in all the nominations, it was said, was ‘deep and unreserved human kindness’. So much talent, with so much strength and togetherness on show.
Experienced leader of people and services - believes in local government and the people who take responsibility for it. Haven't got it cracked yet. Still learning.
Congratulations to Lesley Watson for winning the Education Hero of 2024 award DgLife last night. Lesley has 42 years service ( though that is hard to believe) in leadership at all levels in schools across D&G and roles with our regional colleagues across the Ayrshires as well as with HMIe. The judges highlighted that she has ‘spent her whole career supporting children, families, teachers and school leaders in our region and has led the way with many national initiatives putting Dumfries and Galloway at the forefront of educational thinking’.
Lesley is such a brilliant colleague and I was fair chuffed and proud to be her guest
thanks to all for such a great night Andrea Thompson DLDerek Crichton
Experienced leader of people and services - believes in local government and the people who take responsibility for it. Haven't got it cracked yet. Still learning.
I am so proud of these inspiring educators who have been nominated and are now finalists as Dumfries and Galloway’s education heroes 2024. We know there are committed teachers who are unwavering in their determination to support children and families across our schools day in, day out. It is wonderful to see some these people recognised by our communities.
Looking forward to the final in November !
Thank you Dumfries and Galloway life and all those involved and sponsors Joanna CampbellDumfries and Galloway CollegeAndrea Thompson DLDerek Crichton
‘Through Young Eyes’ gives us all the chance to listen to the powerful voices of young people and hear about their experiences of Poverty in a rural part of Scotland.
This week I attended the 2 launch events in Stranraer and Dumfries of ‘Through Young Eyes’ which is a short film made by young people in Dumfries and Galloway to allow them to tell the story of Child Poverty from their owned lived experiences and to push us all to do more.
The Young People and Youth Workers who made the film have really challenged all organisations to ask themselves this question- are we doing enough to tackle the Child Poverty in our region? There needs and must be more we can do together.
I am really proud of our Youth Work Team for working on this over the last few months and huge credit needs to go to Laura Kiltie and Zoe Nix for leading it.
Thanks to all the panelist’s (especially the young people) who took part in the discussion including Valerie WhiteAlan Webb
Also huge credit to Martyn Robertson and the team at Urbancroft Films for supporting us to make the film.
You can view the video at: https://lnkd.in/e4KcBZq7#challengepoverty#youthwork#CPW24