Adult Pledges – Community Ambassadors

St John’s: Adult pledges SELMAS and City of Edinburgh Councillors

“I promise not to be a bystander. I will be an adult children can rely on to help.”
– Gillian

“It is very important to listen to young people and to act upon what they say and tell us how to make things better.”
– Ian

I will…….

“Make sure that if I make a decision which will impact on young people’s lives, that I listen to what they want, what they need, and what they think the best thing to do is.”
– Kate Campbell

“I will always listen to children and ask their views.”
– Margaret Alcorn

I will…….

Be there for all children, listen to them, include their voices and opinions.

I will….

Use some of your ideas in my own classes with children

I will…….

Make time to listen to any young person who wants to talk to me about anything that is worrying them.

I will………

“Make sure that I always listen to children and take seriously what they are telling me.”
– Mary Campbell

I will…….

“Make sure that you always have someone to listen to you when you need to speak and show how you feel.”
– Alison (Cllr Alison Dickie)

“I pledge always to listen to any child that approaches me with a problem and do my very best to solve the problem and become a kind, happy, empathic member of our community.”
– Maureen Child

“I will be more visible to students in my school during social times so that they can come and speak to me about any of their concerns. I pledge to work as hard as I can to ensure the greatest opportunity to succeed for every child in Edinburgh.”
– Cllr Callum Laidlaw

Abbeyhill: Community Ambassadors meet the NHS

Seven of our Community Ambassadors facilitated a workshop for Scottish Government and NHS representatives, working together to look at the programme themes of Human Dignity, empathy, trust and kindness which children have identified as being the most important values they want and need from adults.

Together, children and adults took part in activities to consider and discuss those themes, having a conversation about what children want and need from adults, learning from and with each other about how and when we show each other empathy and kindness. By experiencing these values in our relationships, we develop a confidence and trust in adults which enhances our feelings of Human Dignity and safety.

We’d like to thank our friends from Scottish Government and the NHS for making the workshop such a positive experience for our Community Ambassadors.

We include here some of the pledges our friends made on how they will make the lives of children healthier, happier and safer.

“I will……..
Keep exploring
Keep asking questions
Keep listening
And make sure I cat on what I learn
– Harriet

I will………….
Make sure that I do my work in a way that always takes into account what children and young people think and find creative ways to involve children and young people.
– Hazel Crawford

You can see more pledges on our “Adult Pledges” page on this blog.

Granton: Adult pledges from Data Lab, Edinburgh University

I will listen more and talk less
– Brian

I will listen to children and act if I need to in order to help them
– Marion Dunbar

I will always listen when a child tries to talk to me

I pledge to always spend time playing with children, to engage with them and to listen to them.

I will always look out for a child who needs help when I’m out.

To be proactive in listening, asking questions and take action where and when I can. I have three nephews so will do my best to listen, discuss and to take action with any worries they may have.
– Craig Skeldon

I pledge to listen and respect children’s decisions surrounding their freedom when they’re out playing with their friends ( 2 hours or more!!)

I promise to listen to children and help them when they feel bullied or ignored.

I promise to never ignore a child, listen to what they have to say and how they feel and to be kind to them.

I pledge to look out for children in my neighbourhood to help make sure they’re okay – happy, healthy and safe.

I promise to listen more to children, especially if they are upset.

I will listen more and make more time.

I will treat children with the same dignity and respect as adults
– Dan

I will make time to play more with my children and I will listen to them carefully.

I promise to give children more attention….(and be kind to everyone).

St John’s: Adult pledges from parents and parent council members

I will stand up to help the children who are being bullied. I will try my best to bring all I know about bullying to the attention of staff at school
– M Brown

I will try to notice when a child needs my help and do my best to help as best I can
– Janice

I will help a child if they are bullied and help all children
– Z

I will listen and act!

I, Caroline, an adult and parent promise to listen, act, show empathy, trust, kindness and help you keep your Human Dignity.
– Caroline

Flora Stevenson: Moray House

Our whole class of Community Ambassadors from Flora Stevenson travelled to Moray House, Edinburgh University to deliver a workshop to MSc and PhD Childhood Studies students.

Community Ambassadors shared their work and views from their Community Ambassadors Programme in Edinburgh (CAPE), guiding the adults through a number of activities designed to help them consider and discuss children’s human rights and how they can adopt a children’s rights approach to their thinking and practice.

Together the students and Community Ambassadors considered the programme themes of Human Dignity, trust, empathy and kindness and discussed how children have identified these themes as being the values they need and want from adults when seeking advice or support.

We’d like to thank our friends from Edinburgh University for making this workshop such a positive experience for our Community Ambassadors and for their pledges to children, some of which we include here.

I, Fatima, from MSc Childhood Studies, University of Edinburgh, hereby pledge to make the world a better place for children by loving, caring and respecting them.

I pledge to try to treat my students with empathy, kindness, trust and dignity. To encourage those students to do the same when they become teachers. To use those four words to focus my reflections on my teaching and my actions as a teacher and a parent.
– Judith MacKinlay – Teaching Fellow (Primary Education) & Mum

To see all of the students pledges on what they will do to make children’s lives healthy, happy and safe you can visit our “Adult Pledges” page on this blog.

Who Cares? Scotland pledges

Following their workshop with the CP Ambassadors from Granton Primary, adult participants made the following pledges:

“I pledge to listen to children and to help a child when they need help. I will not ignore any child if they need my help. I will be kind to all children, even if I don’t know them.”
– Ellie Barrow, Who Cares? Scotland

“I pledge that I will not ignore anyone, I will be kind and not be mean. I will listen carefully to children and take their views seriously.”
– Susan Armstrong, Advocacy and Participation worker, Who Cares? Scotland.

Flora Stevenson: Police SLO’s pledges

Following their workshop with the CP Ambassadors from Flora Stevenson, adult participants made the following pledges:

“I promise to always listen to what children tell me and take their problems seriously.”
– PC Iain Collins

“I Darren Campbell do pledge to treat young people with Dignity, Empathy, Kindness and Respect.”
– PC 4753E

“I promise to listen to children (and adults) and try to do my best to help them in any way I can.”
– Tara Adam

Abbeyhill: Adult Pledges

Following their workshop with the CP Ambassadors form Abbeyhill on 14/11/17, adult participants made the following pledges:

I PC Verity Jane Ferry, pledge to listen and support all young people, treating them with respect.

PC Tara Adam, pledge to make time to listen to children and try and understand them and what they need from me to improve things for them, their families and people they mix with in all walks of life.

St John’s: Adult Pledges

Following their discussions with Granton’s Community Ambassadors on 14th November 2017, adults pledged to:

I pledge to listen to what all children have to say Simon – Police Officer

I Verity, Police Officer, pledge to support every child that asks me for help.

I promise to always listen to what children ask or tell me and act upon it if need be. Gina McGroarty PSA

I pledge to listen to every young person who ever comes to me for help and I pledge to do everything in my power to make things better. PC O’Connor

I will listen to children and help them find solutions to problems they experience in and out of school. PC Dickson

I pledge that I will always respect young people and always be here to listen to them when they need my help or advice. PS and to eat less McDonalds!!! Greig.

Keep kids safe with kindness and hopefully they trust me if they need help. Mrs Singh PSA

I will always try to listen to all children that come to me for help. If I can’t help them there and then I will go back to them as soon as I can. Charleen Wait Conroy, PSA

I will make sure that children are safe in the playground – I will keep confidential if any child shared any information – I will try my best to listen to children and solve their problems. F Khan, PSA

I promise to try hard to listen to children’s points and not just say try to ignore people who are annoying you. Helen Kame, PSA.

When a child come to me in the school or playground I will try my best to listen and reassure them to the best of my ability and hopefully make that child better in themselves. Moira Scoular, PSA.

Granton: Adult pledges

Following their discussions with Granton’s Community Ambassadors on 7th November 2017, adults pledged to:

“To try and listen more.”
Paul

“I promise that I will listen to any child who asks me for help.”
Jenn

“I, Jimmy Dee, do solemnly declare to treat children as equals with respect and dignity for all.”

“I pledge to always listen when someone tells me they need help.”
Iain (Police Officer)

“I promise to make the world a better place to live in for every child in Edinburgh and beyond.”
Prince (Police Officer)