Movement building in Scotland’s capital
Community Gathering 2026 wrap up!
YSCS members, staff and trustees with Sanne Dijkstra-Downie MSP
"We have built a community that spans the length and breadth of Scotland, and in policy we’ve not only got a foot in the door, we’ve sat at the table" - Caitlin Turner, Keynote speech
That was the energy from the very start of this year's annual Community Gathering: empowered, connected, supported.
The third of its kind since Young Sea Changers Scotland launched in 2024, it was clear from the offset how much the movement of young ocean advocates has grown in that short time.
An electric energy filled the room as young people from all over the country filtered into the central Edinburgh venue: from Shetland and the Highlands, to Arran, the Borders, the Central Belt or just round the corner in the capital. From school pupils, school leavers and students, to those already working in the sector. From those who have grown up in coastal communities to those who have never set foot in the sea.
Filled up with caffeine and asked about the state of Scotland's seas today, 86% rated it as unhealthy. When asked about why they were there, 90% attendees indicated that meeting other young people interested in marine issues was a high priority for them.
The message was clear: young people care about the ocean and want to work together to protect it.
What's more, it's a message decision-makers are starting to hear. Caitlin Turner, YSCS Trustee and Marine Policy Officer for the RSPB, kicked off day with a keynote speech highlighting how far our youth movement has come since its' inception, with members being invited to give evidence in Holyrood, attend parliamentary and stakeholder events, meet with politicians and more.
Keynote speech by Caitlin Turner, YSCS Trustee
We also heard directly from YSCS members about their individual advocacy pathways. Starting with Julia Rowlandson, who outlined her journey from attending the 2024 Community Gathering, participating in our training programme, to receiving a grant from our Youth Ocean Action Fund, and leading on to shoot her documentary project Sea of Senses. Next, we heard from Udara Nagodavithana and Emma House who both talked us through their career journeys and how they landed their current roles with Project Seagrass and the Berwickshire Marine Reserve respectively.
One thread shone through: there is no one set way to advocate for the ocean. Creativity, policy know-how, practical conservation and community engagement are all important and impactful tools to stand up for our seas.
The sheer breadth of advocacy approaches continued into our skills workshops, with sessions on MSP lobbying by Rea Cris from Open Seas and mixed media and visual storytelling by illustrator Rosie Cunningham. We also had a campaigning workshop by Fanny Royanez from the Scottish Seabird Centre (and another YSCS Trustee) and a session exploring blue wellbeing and personal sustainability with Freyja Thomson-Alberts from the Ocean Conservation Trust, all giving young people invaluable opportunities not only to build their skills and confidence, but connect with each other, connect with experts in the field and grow their networks.
After a spot of lunch, it was time to truly put these skills into practice, with a roundtable Q&A with Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, a newly-elected Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh Northern and ocean enthusiast.
"What are your priorities for the next 5 years as MSP?"
"How has the water quality at Portobello beach been since monitoring was started?"
"Can we put our faith in you and your party to advocate for our seas?"
Questions ranged from local to national, big-picture to highly specific, open to direct – all demonstrating the passion and knowledge of the young people in the room and sending a clear message: young people will hold politicians today accountable for the ocean's future.
Finally, it was time to take that energy and direct it into tangible, collective action. With the long-awaited public consultation on Marine Protected Areas about to be released, members sat down to discuss their new youth-led campaign, Protect our Inshore Seas, and workshopped how to build the YSCS community even further and farther.
When asked for attendee's key takeaways from the day, the room was left with a palpable electricity in the air and a renewed belief that young people are an advocacy force to be reckoned with.
"Refuelled with advocacy energy"
"Don't be afraid to reach out to make an impact"
"Sense of community and safe place"
"Your opinion is valid, important and needs to be heard"
If you're aged 16-25, living in Scotland and want to be a part of our passionate and supportive community of young ocean advocates, join YSCS and become a member today!
All photos credit: Graham Richardson