PUPILS have done their bit in helping to tackle social issues such as mental health, poverty and violence against women.
S2 pupils at Preston Lodge High School worked in teams to identify a charity and represent them in the hopes of winning £3,000 as part of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI).
The pupils worked on the project during their social studies classes for six weeks, first by learning about important issues impacting people in the community.
They then researched their chosen charity and made a bid to share why they should win the grant, practising their presentation and public speaking skills.
Winners from each class then progressed to a whole-school final and presented in front of a panel of judges, fellow students, parents and charity representatives, with a “very high” standard across the competition.
Selected as the overall winners were a group made up of Alex Kubis Simpson, Sophie Scott, Viola Wilson and Sophie Dickson, who “magnificently represented” Can Do Scot, a charity that supports children and young adults with additional support needs through youth clubs and summer playschemes.
The four presented the £3,000 cheque to Can Do’s co-ordinator Kirsty Milne, who attended to support them at the final and was “very proud to have been represented by such a caring, confident and creative group”.
The charity plans to spend the money on adding more activities to the programme of this summer’s playscheme, as cost is often a limiting factor in the experiences they can provide for their members.
Emily Nisbet, acting PT equity at the school, was impressed by all of the pupils’ work.
She said: “Watching our students grow in confidence, and engage with the project in such a mature and thoughtful way, has impressed us all.
“We have received lovely feedback from our charity partners about how well the students engaged with them during the process, be it phoning, emailing, visiting them or hosting them in school.”
Share