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THE WOOD FOUNDATION

Established in 2007 by Founder and President Sir Ian Wood KT GBE and his immediate family, The Wood Foundation, aims to empower communities, advance education, and foster enterprise to create long-term opportunities and brighter futures.

A venture philanthropic organisation, a proactive investor, project manager, and partner in societal, education, and economic development in Sub Saharan Africa and Scotland, Garreth Wood MBE is the Chairman of the organisation.

As a committed and connected partner in education, The Wood Foundation has engaged hundreds of schools in its innovative programmes and investments since 2008. Identifying opportunities to optimise the potential of Curriculum for Excellence to empower the next generation of successful, active citizens has led to the development and delivery of programmes which address themes such as youth philanthropy, primary STEM, Developing the Young Workforce and transformational change to learning and teaching approaches.

The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)

Engaging more than 390,000 young people since 2008 and responsible for £8.5m of charitable giving, YPI is The Wood Foundation’s biggest independent initiative being delivered in Scottish education, empowering tens of thousands of young people each year to advocate to make a difference in their communities. Through teamwork, research, and competition, young people advocate for social issues in their communities in a bid to secure a school £3,000 grant for local charities.

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.

Our participating schools

See which other schools in your region are delivering YPI through our interactive map below.

MEET THE TEAM

The Wood Foundation manages YPI in Scotland, employing a dedicated programme management and delivery team, supported by in-house administration, evaluation, and communication expertise.

CENTRAL TEAM

Lizbeth Paul

YPI Director

Lizbeth brings experience of working within The Wood Foundation and a three-decade teaching career to the role of YPI Director. Working closely with the CEO, Lizbeth is passionate about delivering the vision of YPI and building the engagement of young people, partner organisations and third sector in the flagship programme. She is responsible for strategically leading a Scotland wide team in the delivery of high quality, engaging and inclusive activities in schools. Lizbeth is passionate about advancing social mobility and opening pathways for all.

Alex Reid

Programme Manager

Alex manages the operational delivery of YPI across Scotland, leading our Programme Officer team and working closely with our valued school partners. Alex has coordinated the programme since 2017 and held a number of project management and administration roles in the public, private and third sectors prior to working with The Wood Foundation. She is passionate about YPI being the best it can be for schools, charities and most importantly, our young people.

Lucia Giuntoli

Partnerships Manager

Lucia leads on partnerships related to our YPI programme. She works alongside our network of likeminded funding partners to ensure maximum benefit is being derived from the investment for the organisations and the young people involved in the programme. She is also the dedicated point of contact between YPI and third sector organisations. Alongside this partnership focus, Lucia is involved in the operational delivery and development of YPI. Lucia’s career has focussed on connecting businesses and education in order to support experiences and engagements which create mutual benefits.

Nicola Henderson Michie

Development Lead

As YPI Development Lead, Nicola manages the YPI Scotland quality improvement and assurance strategy and framework to optimise the programme for all young people across Scotland. She works closely with the wider team to ensure the continuous development of YPI, including leading and delivering a programme of professional learning. With over 15 years’ experience of working with young people and five years’ management experience, Nicola’s background is in primary education. She is passionate about empowering learners to think differently, be creative, and develop skills and confidence.

PROGRAMME OFFICERS

Romi Campbell

North-east Scotland: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Moray

Heather Bowie

East of Scotland: Fife, Dundee, Perth & Kinross, Stirling, Clackmannashire

Lynn Raynal

Central Scotland: Falkirk, West Lothian, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire

Paul McGinty

West of Scotland: Glasgow. East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, Argyll & Bute

Laura Gordon

South-east Scotland: Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders

Mark Chambers

South-west Scotland: Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway

“My advice for younger pupils starting YPI would be to simply enjoy it. Research thoroughly to find a charity that you feel passionate about and the progress will become a lot easier. When planning your presentation be creative, think outside the box and this will make the experience so much more beneficial and fun. You will get out of this experience as much as you put in."

Abbie, Bo'ness Academy