The first Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) final of 2021 has taken place in Ayrshire, with Carrick Academy students securing £3000 for local charity SeaScape.
The funds will be used for outreach work in Maybole area, including the provision of gas and electricity cards, and food parcels, as well as supporting people facing homelessness.
The students’ convincing presentation impressed judges including Lisa McKellar from QTS, which support YPI in Ayrshire, alongside key figures from the school community including the Head Teacher and School Captain. The other finalist charities were South Ayrshire Autistic Society and Moving on Ayrshire.
Alan McLeish, Managing Director at QTS, said:
“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with YPI. Supporting the programme in Ayrshire gives us a unique way to ensure our funds are reaching communities most in need, while giving young people the opportunity to represent the area.
“The past year has been incredibly difficult for many people and our local charities have done an amazing job. To support them in this way is really important to QTS, and seeing the students rise to the challenge and adapt to create and deliver their presentations in the current restrictions is truly inspiring.”
QTS has supported YPI in Ayrshire for four years. As well as funding, its team supports judging at YPI finals, as well as mentoring students embarking on the process.
Kathryn Lindsay at Carrick Academy, said:
“We are delighted to have been able to deliver our YPI Final Showcase online. This opportunity was really embraced by our young people, and our finalists excelled with their ICT skills to create virtual presentations. I am so proud of them all and it has been great that they have been able to make a real difference for our local community during such a difficult time.”
YPI is an active citizenship programme which empowers #generationchange to make a difference in their communities through a unique programme of teamwork, research, and competition. Each school will award a grant of £3000 to their local community.
Nicola Young at SeaScape, said:
“The young people researched the issue really well and were very interested in what we do. They showed great compassion and it’s great they secured this funding and understand the impact of poverty in the local area.”
Alex Reid, National Coordinator of YPI which is a programme of The Wood Foundation, said:
“Congratulations to the students at Carrick Academy for such an impressive virtual YPI Final Showcase. The school’s commitment to this opportunity for their school and wider community is very important and we are proud to work alongside them and QTS.”
For more information, visit www.ypiscotland.org.uk.
