Catch the Light
youth and community development consultancy

Thanks again to Tila and Ian for delivering such a great couple of sessions- the artists from the Culture Collective got so much from it and I think it really has boosted their confidence and understanding around evaluation and their ability to build it into their practice. It was exactly what we were needing, so huge thanks for that!

YDance had previously worked with Catch the Light on our large-scale participation project Free to Dance from 2008-2012.  Due to the level of attention, care, and passion that both Tila and Ian gave to the evaluation of the programme, as soon as we had another opportunity to work with an external evaluation company there was only one clear choice for us! Catch the Light really take the time to get to know the projects that they evaluate as well as the people who deliver them and who participate in them.  It feels like a true partnership working with Ian and Tila, they bring such a wealth of experience to each project and are always a friendly and supportive ear.  It’s a pleasure to work with Catch the Light.

Ian and I have crossed paths on several projects over the years and I think he is a great consultant to lead the two sessions on aspirations for the future with the young trainees. I also think that Catch the Light's expertise and depth of experience in the field of youth and community development and strategy work could be really useful for supporting the social enterprise vision moving forward. I know that the trainees will enjoy working with Catch the Light.

YouthLink Scotland respects Catch the Light (CTL), as a skilled research partner.  The background, knowledge and skills of the organisation fits with the ethos and value base of YouthLink Scotland and its role as the National Youth Work Agency. CTL use electronic communications where appropriate but maintain good customer relations through face to face meetings.YouthLink Scotland has used CTL for pieces of work that have to be completed to a particular standard within usually tight timeframes and CTL has always delivered on time to a very high professional standard. CTL understands the world in which YouthLink Scotland operates and the ways in which the youth work sector is organised and this reduces the potential for conflict or misunderstanding.  This also helps the credibility of CTL with our membership. I would recommend CTL to the youth and community development sector as a consultancy which has a proven track record based on sound professional knowledge and understanding.

Ian and Tila of Catch the Light have supported our organisation on a number of occasions with different aspects of our business. They were instrumental in assisting with the implementation of a very successful ‘Pilot’ employability project; from research through to final evaluation. With their  wealth of skills, knowledge and expertise in ‘Youth and Community Development’ they guided,  supported and helped build capacity within our organisation to secure funding, implement monitoring and evaluation systems and reporting mechanisms to our funders.

Other additional support services they delivered include recruitment, assisting with interviews, skills audit and role review, organisational development and planning ahead  (away days with our Board).

Ian and Tila are a delight to work with and I  would have no hesitation in utilising their skills and expertise again, particularly in the fields of Youth & Community Development, Research, Funding Applications, Skills audit/role review.  As well as being very professional at all times Ian and Tila are very personable and approachable and go that little extra mile for their clients.

Girls’ Brigade in Scotland (GBS) has been working with Catch the Light since 2012 following recommendations from other organisations in the youth work sector.  The faith placed in them by others was well placed and what started as a one off, stand alone  project has evolved into a mutual journey of discovery as we have worked through multiple development projects together and continue to do so.    Catch the Light has a unique way of working with their clients that draws on the knowledge of the organisation as a foundation of any project but it is their wide ranging knowledge of what is available in the sector and their willingness to explore new ideas that makes good projects great.  Innovation, knowledge, humour, flexibility, patience, trust and support are all part of the Catch the Light package but the most powerful part of the equation is the passion that Ian and Tila have for young people and that’s what makes their agency different.  

Many thanks Catch the Light for your stoic and valued work on the evaluation of the first three years of the Perthshire Youth Work Partnership.  Your efforts have well exceeded the evaluation brief and delivered much needed practical support with our delivery partners, making connections for the partnership at a national level, and identifying funding opportunities.  Reminding us of where the boundaries are for universal youth work has also kept us closer to the straight and narrow than we could have achieved alone.

Catch the light’s work was an important factor in providing both qualitative and quantitative evidence to extend the Universal Youth Wowrk Partnership agreement between the Gannochy Trust and Perth and Kinross Council. Their supportive manner in assisting external partners to provide information for their research has enabled us to continue further funding for Youth Work provision for the next two years across Perth and Kinross. Youth Work does matter and they showed it.

You are both a pleasure to work with and consistently professional and dedicated. It feels very much like working with partners and that’s not always the case when contracting work out! The quality of your work is dependably fantastic! So thank you both very much. I know you went “above and beyond” on this piece of work and it’s very much appreciated. It was a great project and I know the young people involved really benefited from working with you.

Ian and Tila are a joy to work with, they fully understand partnership working; drawing from their extensive knowledge and experience whilst utilising the local background experience. Their approach instantly sets the participants at ease whilst having the skills to engage at different levels, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to take part. Not only are their facilitation skills of a high level but their ability to record, articulate and interpret information gathered is evident throughout the final reporting stages.

Catch the Light carried out a formal external evaluation of the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers Programme.  The end product was a fantastic; a balanced, high quality, informative and insightful report that clearly demonstrated the impact the PSYV programme was having on the lives of young people across Scotland.  I found Ian and Tila a joy to work with and was delighted with their flexibility and willingness to meet ever changing and often very challenging timescales.  Ian and Tilas background in the public and youth sectors allows them to quickly and accurately absorb information regarding the programmes they evaluate, making the whole process painless and enjoyable.  I hope to work with Catch the Light closely in the future and would have no hesitation in recommending them to other organisations.

We are delighted that we selected ‘Catch the Light’ to conduct an Impact Study of our work in Scotland.  They were able to engage effectively with our children, young people and volunteers and work with them in the informal style that was required.  At the same time they were highly  professional in organising their work, liaising with our staff and in the quality of the report and presentations that they produced.  Their work has been an asset to us both in terms of demonstrating the value of what we do, and in suggesting areas for future development.