Young Philanthropists

We topped up the efforts of these DHS pupils

All the contestants with President an Deputy Rector

THREE teams of would-be charity champions can now follow in the philanthropic footsteps of Dunfermline's greatest benefactor Andrew Carnegie…thanks to a £900 "bonus" from the Rotary Club of Dunfermline.

While they lost out on the £3000 grant prize in the Dunfermline High School round of the 2019 Youth Philanthropy Initiative Scotland, the runners-up finalists impressed the Rotarian judges so much that each of the three teams has been rewarded with an additional £300 grant for their respective good causes.
YPI is a curriculum-based programme which teaches secondary-school students the fundamentals of philanthropy, with competing teams nominating for the £3000 prize a local, grass-roots social-service organisation in their own community.

The Scotland programme is sponsored by the Wood Foundation and this year's Dunfermline High -winners - Leah Burgess and Malala Bibi (pictured centre) - directed their prize to Choices, whose aim is to help eradicate domestic abuse in whatever form it takes by providing specialist support that's accessible to anyone who needs it.

The Rotary Club's three £300 "bonus" grants have been awarded to the following:

SAMH: Ellise Lewis and Katie Atkinson. SAMH is the Scottish Association for Mental Health, which operates in communities to provide a range of mental-health support and services

North Edinburgh Dementia Care: Holly Fitzgerald, Teigan Masterton and Logan Dowie. The charity supports people with dementia to live in their own home for as long as possible, delaying or avoiding the need for residential care, while also providing support to carers

The Cookie Jar Foundation: Stella McQueen, Olivia Smith and Rachel Simpson. The Cookie Jar Foundation helps meet funding requirements for a wide range of notable beneficiaries, including the Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital, the young persons group at Maggies Cancer Centre at the Western General Hospital and the cancer units at the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.

In presenting the cheques to the runners-up, President Elect Noel McKenna -pictured, left, in the back row with assistant rector Fraser Donnelly - said,
"Our club is delighted to support this active citizenship programme. Through teamwork, research and competition, it aims to develop the next generation of responsible citizens, develop the skills and confidence of young people through a real-life, hands-on experience of philanthropy, and raise awareness of social-service issues and the work of local charities.
"This international programme is an award-winning approach to grant-making that aims to grow compassionate communities by connecting high-school students to social issues, local charities and philanthropy at a pivotal stage in their lives."

YPI is this year being delivered in 256 secondary schools across Scotland. To date, the programme has engaged more than 140,000 students, providing them with the essential skills and confidence to grant over £3.2m to hundreds of local charities.