Saintfield High School – £3,000 To Local Charity!

Year 9 students from Saintfield High School have been taking part in the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative, a ground-breaking programme, running for the first time in Northern Ireland this year, which aims to create the next generation of passionate and committed philanthropists by providing real life experiences of charitable giving.

Working in teams to identify the social needs of their local community, pupils selected a local charity that best addressed their chosen issue. They interviewed staff and beneficiaries before preparing a presentation for a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style judging panel, with the best team winning a £3,000 donation for their charity. The judging panel comprised prominent members of the local community, including Brian Gamble and Ian Mack from Saintfield Development Association representing the Saintfield News newsletter.

In the final there were four groups each comprising four pupils.  The charities they advocated were Ballygowan Community Playgroup, Lisbarnett and Lisbane Community Association, Stepping Stones, and Tiny Life. After the pupils had made their presentations which included drama, video, display stands and PowerPoint presentations the judges retired to make their decision.  After much deliberation the judges announced that the team advocating the Tiny Life charity had won.  Charlotte Hodkinson, the Northern Ireland Schools Coordinator of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative, presented a cheque for £3000 to the winning team which will go to their chosen charity, Tiny Life based in Carryduff.

The YPI programme has been running in England since 2007 and is also active in Scotland, USA and in Canada, where it was founded.

In May 2012, the programme was awarded £154,250 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to help raise awareness of philanthropy among young people in Northern Ireland. The new funding means the London-based project can give more students the opportunity to connect with their communities. Saintfield was only the 4th school to complete the programme in Northern Ireland.

In every region in which the programme has been introduced, local businesses, individuals and foundations have wholeheartedly embraced it and enabled it expand and reach more young people. Its popularity is a testament to the impact and visibility it has on local communities. YPI is currently seeking to develop partners in Northern Ireland who are open to embracing this opportunity to engage positively with local communities in the longer term.