‘The ATS Young People’s Forum is all about opportunity’ – Oscar Logan

Wednesday 8th October 2025

YPF members, mentors and guests at the YPF Conference 2025 (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Let’s Hear Your Voice: Apply now to be in YPF Cohort Three

By Oscar Logan

After two years, the second cohort of Athletics Trust Scotland Young People’s Forum has drawn to a close.

The panel brought together a diverse group of 15 young people and six mentors from the previous panel variously involved in athletics as athletes, coaches, and Officials.

Cohort Two expanded their ambitions to target athlete retention, athlete health, disability inclusion and the transition to university.

A large part of the past two years for the panel has been spent working to increase the YPF’s profile. Members of the Forum have volunteered at several competitions, including scottishathletics Track and Field Championships, assisting officials across all events. Several members have chosen to further pursue officiating and have continued to volunteer at competitions.

Further to this, the YPF was present at the National Club Conference which was used as inspiration for their own ATS YPF Conference: Inspiring the Next Generation.

The event brought together a wide range of speakers both directly involved in the sport and external groups such as SAMH. The afternoon concluded with a discussion featuring a range of past and present Olympic athletes as guest speakers for a Q and A session chaired by a YPF member.

Panel Q and A at our YPF Conference earlier this year (photo by Bobby Gavin)

In December 2024, the YPF were successful in receiving a Young Start Award through the National Lottery Community Fund to employ a part time Digital Content Creator and Marketing Officer to creating engaging and innovative digital content and resources that supports the aims of the Forum via social media.

In the last few months Eilidh Miller has been instructing the panel on social media and content creation.

Several workshops organised by Eilidh have aimed to equip the Forum members with the necessary skills to curate an online presence as well as associated safeguarding around having a digital profile.

The panel have put these skills into practice on the scottishathletics TikTok platform where they can be seen, among other things, dancing and chatting to the President of UK Athletics Denise Lewis.

The cohort’s final meeting was held in September at Top Golf.

After two hours of golfing, we left for the Emirates Arena one last time for an introduction to mentoring workshop delivered by Active Advantage to help prepare those wishing to stay on as a mentor as well as providing further development opportunities for the whole panel.

Eilidh Miller

Let’s Hear Your Voice: Apply now to be in YPF Cohort Three

Opportunity is what lies at the heart of the YPF. In the four years I have been part of the panel I have had the chance to run round table discussions, interview Olympic athletes, and (self-consciously) write articles for scottishathletics.

Beyond that, I have met countless individuals similarly passionate about athletics.

This has not been limited to just my fellow panel members and mentors, nor the scottishathletics staff that pioneered the panel, Lindsay McMahon and Francesca Snitjer who I am immensely grateful towards for leading the panel since its inception – or any other of the wonderful staff.

To be honest, an overwhelming enthusiasm for the sport greeted me with every interaction I had whilst part of the Forum.

It is that optimism that led me to decide to stay another two years as a mentor and that optimism that assures me the sport is in capable hands as I step away from the YPF.