The annual celebration of youth volunteering took place on Tuesday 9th June at Mareel. This year, 191 young people aged between 11 and 25 years old received a total of 336 certificates between them, recognising over 15,400 hours of volunteering they had collectively taken part in with 67 different organisations, schools, projects, charities and clubs.
Saltire Award recipients receiving their certificates at the 2026 ceremony.
The Saltire Awards, a well-established national awards scheme run by the Scottish Government, are designed to recognise and reward the commitment young people make to volunteering in their community. The awards, locally managed by Voluntary Action Shetland (VAS), recognise milestones of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hours of time spent volunteering.
There is also a Challenge Award,the first step on the Saltire Award ladder. This award is for those who volunteer as a team to make a difference in their community and to get their first taste of volunteering. A group of 9 enthusiastic volunteers at the Vidlin Play Park were recognised this year for their efforts in sprucing up the play park with a fresh coat of paint, new signs and flowers.
Musical entertainment on the night was provided by Laldy, a talented group of 4 young girls, who welcomed everyone with their traditional tunes before the ceremony began.
This year, young people continued to be involved in delivering the event. No strangers to the Saltire Award stage, Shetland Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament Beenie-Ann Wood and Ava Williamson assisted with presenting certificates to this year’s awardees.
Once again, organisations who had put forward a large number of volunteers were highlighted throughout the evening. The groups celebrated ranged from the expressive arts of dance, swimming clubs across the isles and those supporting the wider community through local cultural events.
At the end of the night, 3 young people received a Summit Award, the most prestigious Saltire Award which is only achieved by volunteers who have been nominated by their supervisors for making an outstanding contribution to volunteering. Volunteers receiving this accolade were Jake Davies (Delting Football Club/Brae High School Young Ambassadors), Jack Deyell (The Outpost) and Isobel Pagulayan (ALICE Theatre Project).
The event was brought to a close by one of this year’s Summit Award recipients, Isobel Pagulayn. She wrapped up the evening with a speech about her own journey through volunteering, having been involved with the ALICE Theatre Project since the age of 6. Isobel spoke about all her different roles within the group in a moving yet humorous way, even mentioning about the time she fundraised for the group with a 24 hour sponsored silence.
Lara White, VAS Youth Volunteer Development Worker, commented on how delighted she was that so many awardees could attend the awards ceremony. “It is amazing to see such high numbers once again, proving that the youth of Shetland contribute more than we realise to our local communities right across the breadth of Shetland, from Baltasound to Toab, Walls to Symbister and everywhere in between”.
VAS would like to thank all youth volunteers and the organisations who continue to provide opportunities for young people and make the Saltire Awards so successful in Shetland.
