Pupils take centre stage during visit of Salvation Army's world leader

Schoolgirls at congress
Leah Campbell, Emily Andrew, Elle Fraser, Anna Duncan and, Anna MacQueen

Issued by the Salvation Army

A group of Inverness schoolgirls have taken a starring role at a Salvation Army congress after helping boost the church and charity’s local work to the tune of £3000.

The pupils from Millburn Academy came out on top in a competition run by the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) Scotland.

The winning team of Anna MacQueen, Anna Duncan, Elle Fraser, Emily Andrew and Leah Campbell, all aged 13, impressed the judges with their creative presentation about the work of the Inverness Resettlement Project – which is run by the Salvation Army to support people who may be at risk of losing their homes through mental health issues or substance misuse.

Having been guided on how to analyse the charity’s management and strategy, the pupils were encouraged to build relationships with the organisation and then exercise their skills in advocacy and public speaking to make a case as to why their proposed charity should be awarded £3,000.

Following their success, the youngsters were invited to deliver their presentation to Salvationists and friends of the Salvation Army at its recent North Scotland Divisional Congress in Inverness.

General André Cox, who is the world leader of the 1.5 million-strong organisation, was among those at the event marking 150 years of the Salvation Army.

General Cox praised the students for using their creativity and passion to support the Inverness Resettlement Project, and said: “What the pupils have achieved is fantastic. I was impressed by their understanding of the Salvation Army and the work we do in Inverness. I’m delighted they have chosen such a worthwhile project to support and I thank them for all the hard work they put into their presentation.”

Kerry Sinclair, Depute Rector at Millburn Academy said: “The opportunity to research the work of the Salvation Army locally has been a tremendous experience for pupils.  

“As a result our school community is much more aware of the diverse range of help and support offered by the Inverness Resettlement Project and we are more aware of the range of social issues experienced by people living locally.

“We really appreciate staff at the Salvation Army taking their time to share details of their work with the team.”

The schoolgirls are now set to take part in the national Festival of Philanthropy at Perth Concert Hall on Tuesday June 21. The event is an opportunity to celebrate all that has been achieved through YPI and will feature endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont as guest speaker.

20 May 2016