Lanarkshire pupils support charities through Youth and Philanthropy Initiative

Teams from four local schools were invited to showcase their successes at the programme's national celebration

Pupils from four Lanarkshire secondary schools showcased their successes in earning grants totalling tens of thousands of pounds for local charities at a national event celebrating the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI).

Groups from St Margaret’s in Airdrie, Coatbridge High, Bellshill Academy and East Kilbride school St Andrew’s & St Bride’s were all on stage before 800 guests at the YPI national event in Perth to highlight the issues and good causes they have supported by taking part in the project to access grants from the Wood Foundation.

The programme sees teams of pupils research the work of chosen charities and deliver pitches in a school competition with judges then choosing a winning team who earn £3000 to present to their good cause – with Carluke High being the latest to host their competition at the end of term and the donation going to the town’s dementia hub.

Both the Coatbridge and St Andrew’s & St Bride’s groups highlighted how parental addiction can affect young people and shared what help is available, while St Margaret’s High shared a presentation on mental health triggers and the Bellshill Academy group focused on suicide prevention, taking inspiration from the format of game show The 1% Club.

They were among 12 schools across Scotland invited to take part in the annual event, with the theme of “be the change” and recognising pupils’ work in “taking time to understand the challenges faced by others, championing causes close to their hearts and demonstrating a genuine dedication to social responsibility”.

Pupils also heard an inspiring keynote speech from Gladiators star Sheli McCoy and a performance by Scottish young live artist of the year Ben Walker.

Run by the Wood Foundation as its “flagship UK investment”, YPI has seen pupils from 280 Scottish schools take part this year, with the combined total of their £3000 grants for local charities reaching £840,000 in the past year and £8.5 million since the scheme started in 2008.

Chairman Garreth Wood said: “The passion, empathy and commitment on display at this year’s YPI national event were truly inspiring. It is our hope that this experience encourages young people to continue their involvement in their communities, whether through volunteering, advocacy or by remaining actively engaged in local initiatives.”

Pupils at Carluke High staged their school’s presentation final last term with groups of youngsters researching local community issues and giving engaging and persuasive presentations on local charities tackling the issues they are passionate about.

Mairi McAllan, the Clydesdale MSP, joined the judging panel for the YPI final showcase, with the winning team promoting the work of St Andrew’s dementia hub and earning the welcome donation for the good cause.

She said; “The standard of each presentation from pupils was very high, and it was incredibly tough to choose which team would win the prize of £3000 for their charity. My congratulations to the fab winning team and thanks to the school, YPI, Ms Henderson and Mr Duffy for inviting me along to take part.”

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