Kids get active to raise funds
Published: September 30, 2004
Pupils at six schools across Peterborough have been involved in a successful initiative to raise funds for charity.
The six Peterborough-based schools joined 12 other secondary schools from across Cambridgeshire in a national pilot programme called Active Citizens in School (ACiS).
The scheme, which has been running for two years, supports students ideas for fund-raising and for improving relationships in school.
Jack Hunt school in Netherton, Ken Stimpson Community School in Werrington, Orton Longueville school, The Causeway school in Park Lane, and Marshfields school in Eastern Close in Peterborough were joined by Sawtry Community College for the pilot scheme.
Around 70 per cent of pupils at Jack Hunt school have been involved with ACiS in some way over the last two years, and have raised more than £9,000 for Sue Ryder Care, Thorpe Hall Hospice.
Liz Cox, assistant headteacher at the school, said: “The pupils were very pro-active in their response. The ideas for every activity come from the pupils.
“We won the Nationwide award for endeavour last year and have been put forward for the national award at a ceremony in London soon.
“We also put on our own Race for Life to raise money for charity.”
Liz Bartley, citizenship teacher at Ken Stimpson Community School said: “We have been encouraging pupils to take up the citizenship curriculum. We have brought together teachers and youth workers to promote the scheme in school, and it has been very effective.
“One of the best ideas was to offer smoking advice. Year 10 pupils have been giving talks to Year 8 pupils warning of the dangers of smoking – we believe the message comes across better if it is delivered by other youngsters.”
A Youth Bank in School was also established at the school, in which members decide and allocate funds for other pupils’ ideas.
Pupils and staff from the six schools will be attending the final celebration event today at the Burgess Hall in St Ives, where students will speak on the range of activities that have taken place.
The scheme has been so successful it is now being launched nationally.
Aim is to get young people involved in voluntary work
The Active Citizens in Schools pilot has been run by Changemakers – a national charity which supports community based social change.
The project has received funding from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
It aims to involve young people aged 11 to 16 in voluntary action and rewards them with certificates for 25 and 50 hours of activity.
Changemakers promotes an approach that involves young people in deciding on needs and issues they want to address, and setting up and running their own projects.
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