Local charity benefits from Ardnamurchan High School Youth and Philanthropy Initiative
This is the 4th year Ardnamurchan High School have run the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) programme where young people focus on a social issue in groups of 4 or 5, choose a local charity that is addressing the issue and prepare and present a presentation to a panel of judges in order to try and win £3000 for that charity.
This year, the programme ran as an S3 inter disciplinary project between RME and English with RME focusing on the social issues and English on the content and presentation skills.
Alan Gray, Youth Development Officer assisted with the presentation skills. The school welcomed a panel of local judges and representatives from the charities.
Eight charities were represented, including Lochaber Hope, RNLI, Strontian Men’s Shed, West Lochaber Hospital Transport Project, Lochaber Women’s Aid, Ewen’s Room, Lochaber Foodbank and Shopmobility Lochaber.
The RNLI group presented through the medium of Gaelic with English slides. Despite the challenges of the snowy weather which resulted in some absence and some technical problems on the morning of the event, the pupils were magnificent and rose to the occasion. All the hard work and nerves were worth it as every group gave clear, well thought out and emotional presentations which were all worthy of winning the money for their charities. The judging panel had a serious job on their hands and took almost an hour deliberating. In the end the group that won the money was the one championing the West Lochaber Hospital Transport Project. Isabella Sutherland, Alex MacKinnon and Emma MacLachlan did an outstanding job delivering an interactive, informative and thought provoking presentation which won a much needed £3000 for the charity to the delight of the representative.
Voluntary Action Lochaber, representative, Brian Gregg (L) and S3 pupils, (L-R Emma MacLachlan, Isabella Sutherland, Alex MacKinnon present the £300 cheque to Jane Gaze
It was an excellent event with a deserving winning group but the most important thing is that awareness has been raised with regard to all the charities represented who do such amazing work in our local area. A huge well done to all the S3 pupils who made us very proud!