A KELTY student is celebrating one year as a member of a national programme providing a platform to represent the voice of young people in Scottish sport.

Paige Boyle, who studies at the University of Stirling, has played a crucial role in helping to influence and shape the future of sport over the last 12 months in her role with sportscotland’s Young People’s Sport Panel (YPSP).

Currently in its fifth two-year cycle, the initiative is led by sportscotland, with support from Young Scot and funding from the National Lottery, and has 20 members.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Paige, 20, and her fellow members have helped deliver several key projects, including the creation of three working groups - disability sport, access to sport - overcoming poverty, and school sport - that are focussed on helping make sport more inclusive to greater numbers of younger people.

Paige said: “My highlight of the panel so far is meeting everyone as being able to work with like-minded people really inspires me. Through the panel I have met lifelong friends and I am so grateful for that.

“I am excited to be a part of the change. This past year the panel have been figuring out our aims and ambitions for our group and now we have started to make action plans to achieve this.

"With Covid being a major setback in these plans I hope that for next year we manage to put some of our amazing ideas into reality.”

Chief executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, added: “I have been hugely impressed with our Young People’s Sport Panel members over the past year."

“Together, they played a key role in ensuring that the voices of young people have been heard and we are grateful for all their efforts.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the panel over the next year and have no doubt that they will continue to make positive impact on the sport system.

"The Young People’s Sport Panel is a programme we are very proud of, and it wouldn’t be possible without the continued support of The National Lottery and lottery players.”