North Berwick Youth Project has welcomed a new member to the team as it looks to expand its offering to young people in the local area.

Natalie Adams has joined as a project leader to help bring more outdoor activities for children aged 11 to 18.

The ‘Out‘n’About’ role, as it has been named, was set up thanks to funding from Young Start with the aim of developing confidence and improving the wellbeing of children through outdoor activities.

The project will also give children the platform to connect with their communities and develop life skills through exploring and connecting with the local outdoor environment.

As part of the plan, a steering group has been formed with about 10 young people, who will meet fortnightly to plan and evaluate the programme, and develop partnerships and an activity programme.

Twice-weekly sessions are part of the project, providing opportunities to develop outdoor skills such as bushcraft, scrambling, biking, camping and shelter building.

Additionally there will be monthly sessions in partnership with Outdoor Education or Venture Scotland to provide more specialist activities such as kayaking and rock climbing.

The youth project has also received funding from East Lothian Council to employ a specialist youth worker to mitigate the adverse impact Covid-19 has had on young people.

Beth Smith, who has worked with the project since 2018, will assume the role, which is part time and funded for two years; it will see her interact with primary schools across North Berwick Coastal ward and North Berwick High School.

Her work will see children get the chance to experience targeted one-to-one and group work to help support their wellbeing, learning and development.

This role will see a collaborative approach bringing together five other workers from across the county.