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Lyndsay McdonaldYWCA LivingstonI have been a member of the YWCA Livingston since I was eight. I heard of the Girls club from my friend and thought I should go along and see if I would enjoy it, so I went along and it was really good. Since then I have met so many new friends and have had so many good experiences and opportunities.I am now 18 and a member of the senior girls' group; we meet at YWCA Livingston on a Wednesday evening where we discuss issues on many topics that we are dealing with. I love the girls' club, it's a night where you can chill out and relax. I really enjoy meeting with girls' only because you can express how you are feeling and talk about what's happening at home and school with other girls who understand what you are going through. I get a lot of support from the group and from the staff at the centre. Being able to talk to members of staff has helped me cope with difficult times in my life like going up to high school. I also volunteer with the Junior club which I really enjoy and I feel I have something to offer to the younger girls. Through the girls' group we have made a video with Young People Speak Out on bullying and recently we have done a DVD on Sexual Health which has been used at workshops. We have arts and craft nights, video nights cooking nights and hair and beauty nights just typical 'Girlie things'. We also have people coming in to talk to us about drugs, alcohol, sexual health and any other concerns that we may have. Over the past year I have been involved in so many activities and events. I became involved with the West Lothian Youth Congress in 2004 through the Y Centre Manager encouraging me to go along to the first meeting and find out what it was all about. I am now the committee secretary and took part in a youth exchange to Norway . This year the group from Norway visited us in West Lothian it was such a good experience and I met so many new friends. There is a lot that I have learned about myself from being in the YWCA, I feel a lot more confident around people and most importantly I feel a lot more confident about myself. The YWCA has inspired me to look and think differently about what I want to do with my life. There's only one bad point about the girls' group, it's only on for 2 hours one night a week, and I wish it was on longer. I would advise anyone looking for things to do and want to meet new friends to join the Girls Club its Great! Archive
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