Students at Hutchesons’ Grammar School secured £3000 for families dealing with addiction issues in the local community.

The team representing Govanhill Family Support secured the school’s £3000 Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) grant at a Showcase event judged by a panel including Katrina McCall of local funding partner Scottish Equity Partners (SEP).

Other charities represented at the in-school event were Glasgow Care Foundation, Hospitality Health, Music Broth, and Glasgow Foodbank.

SEP has been a major supporter of the active citizenship programme YPI in Glasgow for five years, not only as a donor but through staff engagement in YPI related school events.  Katrina McCall said:

“The quality of the students’ presentations was outstanding. Clearly a lot of hard work had gone into developing relationships with the chosen charities and gathering information that was then presented with such creativity and passion. 

“It was a pleasure to support YPI as a representative of SEP on the judging panel. Hearing about the invaluable work of our small, local charities from the students was fascinating and has, in no doubt, inspired a new generation of philanthropists.”

The team was made up of Ewan Cornfoot, Logan Shaw, Saad Bukhari, and Muhammad Baig. The team commented that they enjoyed making a difference about something they were passionate about and learned how widespread the issue of poverty was in Glasgow. They are proud that the charity will now be able to support more people in need.

Hutchesons’ Grammar School has been delivering YPI, a programme of The Wood Foundation, for 11 years with students taking responsibility for more than £30,000 reaching the local community. Christopher Boswell leads the programme in the school. He said:

“From issues with health to poverty, there are many people in our local communities who, without help from charities, would struggle to cope. Through YPI we focus on those small charities who, with limited funds, are making a huge difference.

“YPI makes a really big impact.  So many  of our pupils. are hit with the real impact of what these small charities do and are inspired to work hard to do their best to win for their charity. 

“I was particularly impressed with the determination of our pupils this year. Despite the challenges that COVID presented, including having to meet charities virtually,  pupils were able to demonstrate why the issues the charities address matter as well as the connection they made with the charities themselves.”

YPI engages an entire year group in a hands-on philanthropic project. Through a unique programme of teamwork, research, and competition, young people become advocates for their communities. One team at each of the 250 participating schools will secure a £3000 grant for their chosen charity.

Lucia Giuntoli, YPI Partnerships Manager, said:

“We thank SEP for its ongoing commitment to empowering this opportunity for young people in Glasgow. Its partnership and support are incredibly valued.”