Young people from three Boys’ Brigade (BB) groups have been studying creepy crawlies, catching butterflies and building fences as part of a nationwide social action campaign.

Our community campaign launched this week with the help of the National Trust for Scotland. At the Newhailes Estate in Musselburg the budding conservationists undertook a series of practical conservation activities and biological recordings under the Trust’s expert eyes.

The campaign is now being rolled out across the UK to try to encourage more young people to make a difference in their community, but also einforce the range of social action BB groups already undertaken.

Heath Brown, Outreach Development Manager, National Trust for Scotland said: “The National trust for Scotland outreach team is delighted to support The Boys’ Brigade’s Our Community initiative.   Practical conservation activities undertaken by BB members can have a big impact.

“We are here to help young people make a difference in their local communities and help care for our natural environment.

“Every day that young people give their time to help us we take a great step in protecting our natural world and inspire others to help care about the world we live in.”

Portobello’s 25^th Edinburgh Company, Leith’s 10^th Leith Company and Dunbar’s 1^st Company all helped launch the initiative, which is part of Director of The Boys’ Brigade Scotland, Bill Stevenson’s, vision to encourage increasing numbers of young people in Scotland to help their local community.

Bill said: “I’m extremely proud to see the young people who have helped launch Our Community campaign. It’s a very exciting project that will help members of The Boys’ Brigade learn and explore their local communities and discover the best ways to take initiative.

“By volunteering and supporting the work of organisations, like the National Trust for Scotland, young people across the country will become more aware of what is happening in their local environment and why it is vital to conserve and help protect the nature that surrounds them.

“Through volunteering, fundraising and a variety of social action projects, Boys’ Brigade members make a huge difference and we hope that this new campaign will give greater awareness of their work and encourage others to get involved.”

The campaign is now live and encourages Boys’ Brigade groups up and down the UK and Northern Ireland to get involved over the course of the next six months.

For further information about The Boys’ Brigade in Edinburgh and East Lothian, please visit here.