Finlay

When Kieran, one of our youth work team, first met Finlay two and a half years ago, it wasn’t in a classroom or youth centre—it was while delivering detached youth work on the streets of Falkirk. Even then, Finlay stood out.

“He’d always come over for a chat,” Kieran remembers. “He’d tell me about getting into trouble with the police or falling out with friends. There was a lot going on for him.”

Having recently completed a programme with Link Living, Finlay was encouraged to take the next step by joining Go! Youth Trust’s King’s Trust Team Programme. Walking through the doors for the first time was daunting.

“Open day was scary,” Finlay admits. “But it wasn’t bad. I loved Team, and I met some of my best friends there.”

When Finlay first sat down with Kieran, he was clear about what he wanted.

“I wanted qualifications. I didn’t really get any in school. School didn’t give you the time of day. Team was different. It felt like people were actually there.”

Like many young people, Finlay had found school difficult. He struggled with handwriting, found traditional learning environments overwhelming, and left education without the qualifications he needed to move forward. Through patient one-to-one support, practical adjustments and consistent encouragement, he began to discover that he was capable of far more than he had believed.

As he gained qualifications, including one in money management that he describes as ‘really important’, his confidence steadily grew. More importantly, he began to see himself differently.

“I had this sense of false confidence. I was trying to make myself feel better because my life wasn’t going to plan. But then I realised I didn’t need to do that—to have real people.”

Alongside Team, Finlay continued to build trusting relationships through mentoring, residential experiences including an Ocean Youth Trust voyage, and the wider support available through Go! Youth Trust. These experiences challenged him, stretched him beyond his comfort zone, and helped him begin to believe he had a future worth working towards.

But it wasn’t only Finlay whose life was changing. Through the Plus One Family Support programme, Support Worker Stanka met Finlay’s mum, Ali, and invited her for a coffee.

“I’m so relieved she asked me,” Ali says. “Finlay had a really poor experience in high school. He’d lost faith in adults, and his life was chaotic. I was worried about his decision making. But since joining Team, he’s grown so much. He came home happier and more confident.”

As Finlay received support, so did his mum. During an incredibly difficult period in her own life, Plus One provided someone to walk alongside her.

“I can’t tell you how much help Stanka and the Go! Youth team have given me. I’d been through a really difficult time. Stanka was there to make sure I was safe, that I had support, that Finlay was okay. It’s been above and beyond.”

For Stanka, their journey reflects the importance of supporting the whole family.

“They’re both more confident and resilient. Their story shows just how much our community needs parent and family support. A little time, connection and encouragement can make a huge difference.”

Today, Finlay’s story looks very different from where it began. Once uncertain about his future and disconnected from education, he has now secured an apprenticeship and is beginning an exciting new chapter.

“You always help,” Finlay says of Go! Youth Trust. “No matter what the situation is, you’ve always been there. It’s been amazing. It’s opened up so many opportunities.”

Finlay’s journey demonstrates the power of long-term, relationship-based youth work. By building trusted relationships, providing tailored support and walking alongside both young people and their families, Go! Youth Trust helped transform uncertainty into opportunity. Today, Finlay has qualifications, confidence, meaningful friendships and a future that once felt out of reach—a reminder of what can happen when young people are given the time, belief and support they deserve.