Title goes to Northern Ireland!

Janine McClintock from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs won the title Scotland and Northern Ireland Young Thinker of the Year 2025 in Ayr last week (18 - 21 November). Her winning paper described the difficulties experienced by same-sex couples in accessing NHS fertility treatment. The adjudicator commented: ‘It was a personal and well-written paper with an important message. If we truly believe in equality, then it must begin before conception. Janine was an assured presenter, with impressive eye contact and measured delivery’.

The runner-up award went to Amiee Telfer of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for a thoughtful paper calling for more supervised drug consumption rooms in Scotland. The adjudicator said: ‘There was much evidence of sound research and I thought she handled a controversial issue with maturity and great care’.

The award for best 90-Second Challenge went to Victoria Achebe of NHS National Services Scotland. She asked: How does buying pre-loved items help me preserve the environment? It was a measured, confident and impressive argument in miniature, reminding us that each new item we buy takes away from resources, fossil fuels and water. Buying pre-loved items limits that impact, she told us.

The winning group in the Group Challenge was Group E (Sarah Armour, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council; Elisa Dozzo, Age Scotland; Michelle Nuttall, NHS National Services Scotland; and Francesca Pacitti, Scottish Government). Their presentation was on the concept of ‘love’. The team gave a thorough examination of the concept, from families and friendships, to pets and self-care. It was a memorable and heartfelt performance.

Thank you to all delegates for their hard work!

Our next Young Scotland and Northern Ireland Programme will be held in Ayr in November 2026! To book now, please see Upcoming events.