A GIRVAN Youth Trust (GYT) worker has opened up about how beneficial it has been for her since the trust decided to become an accredited Real Living Wage employer.

The Real Living Wage is a UK wage rate independently calculated based on the cost of living.

GYT implemented the Real Living wage just before Christmas, after discussing how they could help their staff.

Lauren McEwan, 20, has been an Assistant Youth Worker at GYT, supporting young people with additional needs, since September 2019, and she says the change has been incredible adding: “Before the Living Wage was introduced I was living from paycheck to paycheck. I now have extra income and I’m actually able to save money. I can put my all into the job because I am not stressing about money.”

Lucy O’Donnell, detached you work co-ordinator added: “It was just before Christmas when we had a discussion about what we could put in place; what is going to be good for the staff team that is not just ‘let’s have a wellbeing session, let’s do yoga’.

"We wanted to do something that was actually real, that our team can physically benefit from, so we decided to become an accredited Living Wage employer.”

More info about the Girvan youth trust can be found here.