Newarthill, 13th May 2024 – S2 pupils from Brannock High School in Newarthill reached the final six of the 2024 YPI contest for their school.
Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Scotland (YPI) is a programme which many schools across Scotland take part in every year. Since it was introduced to Scotland in 2008 by The Wood Foundation, it has engaged more than 310,000 young people who have taken responsibility for £6.8m of charitable giving.
YPI is the biggest independent initiative being delivered in Scottish education. Each school is responsible for directing a grant of £3000 to a local charity championed by its students through a unique programme of teamwork, research, and competition.
YPI engages a full year-group of students, developing skills and confidence through a contextualised learning experience. The programme raises awareness of social issues and local charities and is a vital means of devolved, locally driven grant-making.
YPI is managed and principally funded by The Wood Foundation. A dedicated team works closely with all participating schools to fully realise the opportunity for their settings.
Small groups of pupils from S2 were tasked with investigating which local charities were in the area, contacting them, inviting them for meetings in the school, asking questions and finding out about what the charity’s purpose is, how they achieve that purpose and what the prize of £3000 would do for that charity. The pupils, Jess, Oliwia and Sophie met with Fool On early in the year and told us they instantly chose them to be their charity they would champion for the grand prize.
Fool On Trustee, Martin O’Neill and Project Coordinator, Mandy Clark, attended the grand final on Monday 13th May where the 6 finalists put on a fantastic show of knowledge, skill and confidence.
“It’s just wonderful to see young people so creative and innovative in how they put across their arguments for who should win the contest.” Martin said of the pupils at Brannock High. “We are so proud to be a part of this fantastic initiative which gives the pupils so much confidence.”
“It’s really heartwarming to see the pupils get so invested in their chosen charities” Mandy continued, “For Fool On to be involved and seen by so many people is amazing. We are so proud of the girls and grateful for being involved”
Although Jess, Oliwia and Sophie’s group did not win the grand prize, their performance on stage, the hand-drawn comic they revealed and Oliwia’s awesome drumming performance on the day were unforgettable and Fool On hope to be in contact with the three amigos for years to come.
A special thanks to YPI and Brannock High School for their donation of £50 to all charities who did not win the grand prize. All-in-all an extremely well organised and worthwhile experience for everyone involved and one that Fool On will cherish for a very long time.
