The Charity
Growing2gether, an innovative Scottish charity, formed as an independent SCIO in August 2022.
Growing2gether was originally part of global youth charity Ecologia Youth Trust. Since January 2017, we have reached over 2000 young people and children across the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Dundee with Growing2gether Nursery, the only programme in Scotland to pair young people facing disadvantage as mentors to children needing additional support and combine this with classroom training in life skills.
Our ambition is to expand to other deprived areas where our programmes can have a positive impact on the children, young people, schools and wider community.
We train local school staff in skills to deliver the programme in the future with ongoing outcome evaluation and quality assurance provided by the charity. Through our partnership with Highland Council, we train Youth Development Officers employed by the Council, who work alongside school facilitators. This lowers costs, ensures sustainability and helps us to expand.
You can read our Strategic Plan for 2023-27.
Our Mission
We give young people facing disadvantage the support they need to thrive, raising aspiration so they can make positive choices in their lives. We build their mental health, educational engagement and life skills, so that they can contribute to their communities.
Our Vision
A world where all young people can realise their unique potential, improve their lives for the long term, and contribute to stronger communities.
Everyone on Growing2gether has become my second family to me, they have taught me a lot about myself. I have loved every second of it.
The Senior Management team is led by Diana Whitmore, MAEd, who has founded three charities/has 37 years’ experience of empowering disadvantaged young people to overcome these barriers and challenges.
Our Co CEO, Gavin Morgan, is vice chair of the Community Learning and Development Standards Council 'registration committee' and has strong links into Third Sector partners. He spent six years within a national role for Who Cares? Scotland and has over 25 years’ experience across public, private and Third Sector.