A Class Act! – Govan High School

GOVAN High School pupils have excelled in an inspiring  philanthropy initiative that empowers young people to do their best for their communities

And it so impressed us here at Elderpark Housing Association that we threw our weight and some funding behind the school’s participation in the “Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Scotland.”

This project is an impressive “active citizenship programme empowering young people to make a difference in their communities while developing a range of skills.”

Govan High School enthusiastically took part this year and the winner from the school was a group of pupils who were able to deliver a £3000 boost to Glasgow South West Foodbank.

The work of the young people learning about the importance of community cohesion and doing the right thing in life fits perfectly with our deep-rooted community support which goes far beyond simply collecting the rent.

Elderpark – which celebrated our 50^th anniversary recently – is a strong advocate of empowering communities in the true spirit of the community-based housing association movement and works closely with local schools.

Jonathan Giddings-Reid, our Community Regeneration Officer who sat on the judging panel at Govan High to choose the winning project, said: “The pupils from Govan High School have demonstrated an acute awareness of community togetherness. The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative is a trail-blazing project which is a fantastic way of empowering young people to make a difference.”

The winning team consisted of pupils Gemma Tweedle, Aisho Khalif, Kendall Dodge, Amelia Barr and Mahtab Hassan.

Govan’s pupils have been actively engaged in their YPI project, researching a range of charities and exploring social issues within the community. After careful consideration, they chose to focus on a local foodbank.

Through their research, discussions and teamwork, pupils developed a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable members of society and the importance of community support. The pupils worked closely, communicating and visiting with the foodbank while developing valuable skills and qualities such as empathy, presentation and social responsibility.