'Family marketplace' helps showcase latest support for local families

A lot has been going on for families – and services who support them – over the last few years. 

With this in mind, the Council's Youth Services team and wider Community Learning and Development and Employability service are hosting a special Family Marketplace on 14 November where families can find out the latest on support available to them.

Around 15 local organisations will have stalls at the event, where folk can find out the latest news on new, existing and updated services for their whole family - from advice on income maximisation and employability, to parenting and relationships.

There will also be a school uniform, winter coats and wellies exchange – if you have items you could donate, please contact: youth.services@orkney.gov.uk 

The Orkney Youth Forum will also be at the event hosting board games to help keep youngsters engaged while parents/carers speak to stallholders - they’ll also be speaking to young people gathering information on topics of concern to them.

A complementary event for professionals will run earlier in the day. The ‘Growing Together’ family focused networking event will offer staff and volunteers from family support and wellbeing organisations across Orkney to learn about new and evolving family support services in our community, strengthening ties and helping identify possible collaborations. 

Key note speaker John Loughton BEM - social entrepreneur, campaigner, youth worker and leadership coach with a background in community education – will speak about whole family wellbeing and how poverty can impact it.

Other presenters currently include Voluntary Action Orkney who will speak about the Island Wellbeing project, and NHS Orkney who’ll introduce their Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young (HENRY) initiative. Other organisations presenting include   NHS Orkney Oral Health Team, Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, Orkney Youth Café, Orkney Rape and Sexual Assault Service (ORSAS), Clan Cancer Support, Action for Children Orkney, Orkney Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO), Women’s Aid Orkney, NHS Orkney School Health Team, Right There, and Relationship Scotland – as well as our Community Learning, Development and Employability team.

Find out more and reserve a space.

The networking and family events are being supported by the Scottish Government’s Whole Family Wellbeing Fund. 

If you’ve any questions about the above events, please contact Kat Beaver or Cheryl Rafferty on youth.services@orkney.gov.uk