A pioneering, youth-centric ‘Smart Village’ website developed in Perthshire will champion young people living in rural economies.
In a partnership between the Rural Youth Project and Smart Village Scotland, a new website - https://rypsv.com - is now live.
It is designed to make it possible for young people - many of them in Perthshire - to start in business and sell goods and services without having to leave the countryside where they have grown up for population hubs and cities.
The online content has been developed by young people themselves, based on their needs and conversations with other young people in their wider networks and communities.
There is a group of 15 ‘Digital Champions’ who designed and populated the website, highlighting the unique and often challenging position youngsters with rural backgrounds are in.
Theo Gillan (18) from Blairgowrie is one of the digital champions.
Theo said at the website launch: “One of the reasons I think this is going to be amazing is that it really breaks the trend of these kind of resources being created by the older generation.
“It truly is a platform for young people, by young people, so they can find exactly what they need to help them succeed.
“It’s not just targeted at users; it’s going to be helping businesses too. They can create a profile and represent themselves, sharing any job or volunteering opportunities they have coming up.
“The platform is going to be constantly working in tandem with young people and business owners, and anyone else who wants to get involved.”
A case study on the website features Anna Lamotte, a founder and director of family-run Guardswell Farm, a 150-acre holding between Abernyte and Kinnaird in Perthshire providing, ‘secret getaway’ accommodation and hosting weddings.
Kinross -based Rebecca Dawes, director of the Rural Youth Project for people aged 18 to 28, said: “Smart Villages are a concept driven by the European Network for Rural Development – essentially digital rural ‘villages’ that combine physical and digital communities to improve their resilience, building on local strengths and opportunities.
“Whether you are a young person keen to set up your own profile, an organisation looking to share opportunities on the site, or a business with an exciting story to tell, the extensive and unique display of features provide means for wide-ranging rural success.”
Attending the launch was Jackie Brierton, who said: “The Rural Youth Project Smart Village has been community-led; it has been a brilliant example of cooperation; and it is absolutely about innovation. It is truly pioneering.”
To join the growing network, head to https://rypsv.com
