The Saltire Awards are endorsed by the Scottish Government. They recognise the contributions of young volunteers in Orkney aged 12–25. VAO actively promotes the scheme and celebrates achievements annually in March at the Orkney Youth Awards. All Saltire participants receiving a certificate in the past year are invited to the event. Together with Orkney Islands Council's, Community Learning and Development team we organise the event as a partnership subgroup of the Youth Workers Forum.
A full audience of 234 people attended the Orkney Youth Awards 2025 where116 awards were presented which included 97 Saltire Awards:
- 77 Saltire certificates
- 4 Summit Awards
- 2 for 200 hours
- 14 for 100 hours of volunteering
The Saltire Awards empowers young people and acknowledges their contributions through volunteering. The 200 hours or more and Summit Awards showcase long-term commitment inspiring peers and normalising youth volunteering.
The Orkney Youth Awards further recognises the impact young people can make through volunteering. The event itself creates roles for young people which are public-facing and community focused. These include MCing, performing music, sound engineering and providing catering. This practical involvement also supports their personal development, enhancing their employability and future opportunities.
Jamie volunteered at this year’s event. He said:
The experience of getting hands on with sound engineering at the youth awards this year was very valuable and gave me a good look into what needs done on the desk. It has opened up more opportunities for me to undertake roles in sound engineering and stage management at events such as the Orkney folk festival!
Anushka volunteered as a journalist for the evening. She said:
“The Orkney Youth Awards gave us all an opportunity to be recognised for all the hard work we have been putting in and to be surrounded by other people our age, all of which with different stories, that we can draw inspiration from and be proud of. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this and I can’t wait to see what the year holds for all of us!
Read Anushka's article in the News section.
The 2025 event was sponsored by RGU, alongside contributions from Orkney Islands Council and VAO and in-kind support from The Pickaquoy Centre and The Orcadian. These collaborations demonstrate a shared ownership of youth development and reflect strong local partnership networks.
By celebrating youth achievement through the Saltire Awards programme and the Orkney Youth Awards, we are contributing to a culture that values inclusive volunteering and actively shapes our community.
