A team from Ardrossan Academy secured £3000 for their local Royal British Legion, inspired by the stories of their grandfathers through The Wood Foundation’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI).

Christopher Colman and Callum Urquhart had both grown up hearing about their grandfathers’ experiences of serving in the armed forces.

Alongside their teammates Thomas Kennedy and Callum McGoldrick, the boys researched the vital support the Royal British Legion offers to veterans, how it engages the community in understanding the local contribution to historical events, and how services had been impacted by Covid-19.

Callum said:

“It was great to speak to veterans and hear about their sacrifice for their country. I felt that the least we could do was win them £3000 after all they did in fighting for us. I learned a lot about what it means to be a veteran and the impact on some of the people that the Legion helps. It was great to win the money for them.”

Christopher added:

“We’re really proud to have won. We really didn’t expect to.”

Boab MacDougall from the Saltcoats, Ardrossan and Stevenston Royal British Legion recently met with the students to share the Legion’s thanks, sharing with each an inscribed plaque. They also discussed with the boys how the funds will be deployed. He said:

“Our fundraising, outreach, and services were all impacted by Covid this year. We have had to find new ways of connecting and helping our members. These funds will help us to bring our members back together, engage with schools, and have funds to provide immediate crisis support to those in need.

“We’re really grateful to the team for bringing these stories from the past to life and highlighting the personal impact the Royal British Legion has on our members. It is so important that we keep connecting with young people so that these stories and sacrifices are not lost.”

The judges were impressed by the students’ passion for the charity and the personal stories they shared to bring the work to life. Two of the students were absent for the final and the resilience of the remaining members was another key consideration for the judges.

Members of the team have committed to staying engaged with the charity and considering how they can do more with them in school.

YPI is an active citizenship programme which gives young people the opportunity to work in teams to represent a charity. Through teamwork, research, and competition, one team from each school will secure £3000 each year. YPI has engaged more than 230,000 young people responsible for more than £5m reaching Scotland’s charities. YPI is supported by QTS as a funding partner across Ayrshire.