The Wood Foundation’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative and a winning team from Forres Academy awards £3000 to Forres Men’s Shed.
Through The Wood Foundation’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), young people from throughout Scotland represented causes they cared about in a bid to secure their school’s grant.
Mental health charities, health support services, and organisations supporting people living in poverty were the top three issues to receive more than £600,000 of funding this academic year.
Pre-lockdown, students took part in a range of classroom-based activities to learn about philanthropy and the needs of their communities. An entire year group at each school was split into teams with one, deemed to have the most convincing and creative presentation, securing their school’s £3000 grant.
The winning presentation at Forres Academy supported Forres Men’s Shed and gave the students the opportunity to advocate and raise funds for the local response to Covid-19. David Parker, Secretary of Forres & District Men’s Shed, said “It was fantastic for us to win this grant from YPI Scotland. The presentation of the award at Forres Academy and meeting two students who had done all hard work in providing the winning video, PowerPoint Presentation, with support of the teachers.”
Jonathan Christie, Deputy UK Director at The Wood Foundation, has said of YPI “The sums secured by young people, #generationchange, for local communities is incredible. This is a unique form of delegated grant-making and puts the power in students’ hands, ensuring there’s representation of the causes which matter to them. As well as funds, there are vital awareness raising and relationship components, as well as a range of skills development opportunities for the young people themselves.”
Since it was launched in Scotland by Sir Ian Wood’s charitable foundation in 2008, the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) has directed more than £4.5m to Scottish charities across each of the country’s 32 local authorities.
For more information about Forres and District Men’s Shed, please visit their Facebook page.
