Content Warning: This article mentions eating disorders
We are looking for 20 young people living in Scotland who have experience of any eating disorder (personally, or through supporting someone) and who would like a chance to make a positive change by joining Beat’s Scottish Lived Experience Panel. To become a panel member, we ask that you are now at least 12 months into stable recovery and are no longer seeking professional support. We are also keen to hear from young people who’ve supported someone with experience of an eating disorder.
Project information
🎂 16 to 17-years-old
📅 This project will run online via Zoom between September 2023 – November 2023
🗺️ We are looking for volunteers from all over Scotland
About the Project
The initial dates for the panel are:
- Recruitment selection session – Wednesday 11 October 2023
- Induction session – Tuesday 24 October 2023
- Session 1 – Tuesday 14 November 2023
- Session 2 – Wednesday 29 November 2023
The panel will work together to discuss their lived experiences of eating disorders (personal experiences or from supporting others) and ideas for how things could be better. The panel will decide as a group what topics are most important to them. Young Scot and Beat staff members will support young people to decide what they want to talk about as a group. Ideas for what the panel may decide to discuss are:
- Support for young people with lived experience of eating disorders in rural and remote areas
- Support at school when you or a friend or family member is experiencing an eating disorder
- How to help health care workers understand eating disorders better.
What you’ll do as part of the Beat Scottish Lived Experience panel
Dedicated staff members from Young Scot and Beat will support you throughout your volunteering experience. There will also be specialist support around eating disorders and response care for all participants provided by Beat staff.
You don’t need any special knowledge or skills to take part, just be enthusiastic to make positive change! We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable all young people to take part, and there will be an opportunity when you apply to tell us about any support or adjustments you need to take part fully.
We are particularly interested to collaborate with young people who are facing barriers due to their personal circumstances including Black young people and young people of colour, young people who identify as having a disability, young carers, care-experienced young people, young people who live in low-income households and young people who live rural communities.
Support
You will be supported throughout the project by Young Scot and Beat staff at every session and there will also be specialist support around eating disorders and response care for all participants provided by specialist Beat staff.
Sign up
If you would like to be part of the Beat Scottish Lived Experience Panel, then you can click the button below or apply online via Alchemer.
Before applying, please ensure you have read the joining criteria below:
- Volunteers need to be at least one year in stable recovery.
- Volunteer must be able to identify potential triggers and have coping mechanisms around these.
- Volunteers must not be exhibiting eating disorder behaviours.
- There is no requirement for previous professional support or diagnosis. If the volunteer has had professional support, they must no longer be accessing this for treatment of their eating disorder.
This application form is also available as a Word document, and we will also accept verbal applications made using video or voice recording over the phone. Please contact YSHive@young.scot to arrange this.
Apply for the Beat Scottish Lived Experience Panel
Applications close at noon on Sunday 1 October 2023.
Next steps
After you’ve applied, we will invite you along to an online initial session on Wednesday 11 October from 4:30-6:30pm held on Zoom. This is to give you a taste of what volunteering with #YSHive might be like, and for us to meet you.
If you can’t attend, we can arrange a separate phone or video call with you.
If we have more applicants than there are spots, we will reflect on how things went at the initial session to make a decision about who to invite to join Beat Scottish Lived Experience Panel
Successful applicants will be invited to an induction session on Tuesday 24 October from 4:30-6:30pm via Zoom.
Questions?
Email us on YSHive@young.scot if you have any questions or would like to know more about this project – we’re happy to help!
More information
We’ll ensure this session is a safe and trusted place for you to participate. We do not accept any form of discrimination or prejudice against anyone on our projects based on your life experience, background, culture, or identity. This includes age, disability, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.