Bedales Students help Stonepillow charity to secure £3000 funding

PETERSFIELD, U.K. - Nov. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- A group of Bedales students in Block 4 (Year 10) successfully campaigned to secure £3000 of extra funding for local homeless charity, Stonepillow.

The students won the cheque for the charity after a presentation in front of a judging panel as part of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative at the school (YPI).  Six other local charities were represented by Bedales students: Footprints; Rosemary Foundation; Bereavement Counselling Charity; Naomi House; The Rowans Hospice and PALs.

The final was a culmination of a process that involved the students researching charities and working as a team to act as ambassadors for the chosen charity. They competed in several rounds receiving feedback from their peers and teachers before presenting the case for funding at the final in front of Managing Head of the Senior School, Dominic Oliver, Assistant Head Katie McBride, Head Girl Freya Deane, Head Boy Rufus Rock and one of the previous YPI finalists, Bea Jarvis, who swam 10 miles for the Fitzroy Foundation after the YPI experience inspired her to continue her support for the charity.

YPI is a nationwide initiative, which has positively engaged thousands of secondary school students across England and Northern Ireland who have, since the project’s inception in 2006, awarded over £1 million to small, local, social service charities. As part of the process, students are invited to research charities and then act as their chosen charity’s ambassador to in a bid to win a £3000 grant.

Commenting on the YPI final and the winning charity, Stonepillow, Dominic Oliver, Managing Head of Bedales Senior School said: “The initiative inspired our students to research social problems in the local area and identify areas where they could help by securing the £3000 funding on offer.  All of the presentations provided a very good case for funding and it was a difficult choice. The panel were particularly impressed with how the students involved Stonepillow’s CEO, Sylvie Johnston, in explaining exactly how the money would be spent. An original song written and sung by student Tara Noble especially for Stonepillow, demonstrated the passion and commitment of the student group. The overall aim of the YPI is to help forge links between charities and the younger generation so that they can come face-to-face with issues affecting people and communities and build a relationship that will last long after they have finished YPI and school. The initiative recognises that the future health of our society relies on the younger generation and this is an incredibly effective way of bringing the two together.”

Chief Executive of Stonepillow, Sylvie Johnston, said: “It was a privilege to be involved with this initiative and meet with such talented and socially aware young people. They all did an incredible amount of research as well as attending our Sleepout fundraising event. I felt that the whole process was well ran/supported and that the group understood homelessness issues so well when the presentation evening came around that I have no doubt that they will continue to support Stonepillow for a very long time. Our grateful thanks to YIP for the opportunity to raise funds in such a creative and educational way.”