PUPILS FROM STRABANE MEET HIS MAJESTY THE KING AFTER WINNING PRESTIGIOUS KING’S TRUST AWARD
PUPILS FROM STRABANE MEET HIS MAJESTY THE KING AFTER WINNING PRESTIGIOUS KING’S TRUST AWARD
A group of pupils from Strabane have won an award at A King’s Trust Celebration, in partnership with TK Maxx
They received the JD Foundation Community Impact award at the star-studded event at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday (11th May)
Royal Founding President of the charity, His Majesty the King, attended the ceremony alongside Her Majesty the Queen
The event recognised young winners from across the UK who have turned their lives around with the support of The King’s Trust, which turns 50 this year.
The group of secondary school pupils from Strabane Academy won a prestigious national award at a King’s Trust Celebration, in partnership with TK Maxx. They scooped the JD Foundation Community Impact award which recognises a group of young people who have made a positive contribution to their local community or school and have developed their own personal skills through teamwork.
The Strabane pupils were honoured yesterday at the event, which was an extraordinary, one-night-only event, celebrating the work of youth charity The King's Trust and showcased the limitless potential of young people as The Trust turns 50 years young.
Held at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, and hosted by Ant and Dec, this special evening saw performances from an all-star line-up of Sir Rod Stewart, Jools Holland, Anne-Marie, Rita Ora, Craig David and Ronnie Wood.
During the ceremony, the pupils met with His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen who congratulated them on their achievements.
The Strabane Academy pupils were presented with their award by Vikkstar and Lucien Laviscount who joined them on stage.
The night brought together music, comedy, awards, and unforgettable performances and celebrated the courage, creativity, and achievements of young people supported by The King’s Trust in the UK and around the world.
The award-winning pupils are proof that it only takes a small group of people to have a big impact. Their hard work, compassion and collaboration has created long-lasting change within their school and the wider community.
The seven students, all aged 15, from Strabane Academy raised money for a community-accessible Automated External Defibrillator (AED) outside their school gates as part of their Enterprise Challenge project. Enterprise Challenge is a free inter-school competition for students aged 11–16, which brings schools together to inspire young entrepreneurs. Delivered in classrooms by King’s Trust staff and volunteers, participants tackle a series of challenges and then collaborate with a mentor to develop and present their business pitch.
As part of the project, the group organised a ‘Restart a Heart Day’, during which students across the school learned CPR and practised using an AED. Their aim was to create a community of lifesavers spanning the school year groups. The pupils chose this project not only because they recognised a gap in lifesaving resources locally, but also because it had a personal and emotional meaning for the team. Two of the pupils in the group had lost their fathers at a young age, one to sudden cardiac arrest. Her bravery in sharing her story gave the whole team determination and a powerful reason to act.
Sarah-Jane, who lost her Dad to cardiac arrest in her early teens, said:
“The project carried some difficult memories for me but feeling the support of the team around me helped me turn my grief into purpose. I don’t mind speaking about what my family went through if it means I can help others.”
Enterprise Challenge member Harry added:
“We realised the AEDs inside our school weren’t accessible outside of school hours when our school community and local people use the sports facilities. We wanted to make sure that life-saving equipment was at the heart of our community. We had fun coming up with ideas to get everyone in the school involved in fundraising and we encouraged all the students to take part. We organised CPR training, a cake sale, activities at breaktimes and a sponsored walk on ‘Restart a Heart Day’. We also produced ‘chain of survival’ keyrings to raise awareness. We raised over £3,380 which is amazing!”
On winning the JD Foundation Community Impact award, S.A.V.E member Miley said:
“Winning the national JD Foundation Community Impact Award is something we never expected to happen – it’s been an amazing experience from start to finish! We’re really proud of the way we worked together and hope that we left a lasting impact on our community too.”
Aaron Probert, JD Foundation Manager at the JD Foundation said:
“Congratulations to Strabane Academy on winning the JD Foundation Community Impact Award. Your commitment to supporting and strengthening your community truly embodies the spirit of this recognition.”
Vikkstar, who presented the Strabane Academy pupils with their award, said:
“What the young people from Strabane Academy have achieved is truly inspiring. Coming together as a team, they have made a lasting difference to their entire community. Turning personal experiences into something so positive takes real courage and compassion, and their efforts will have an impact for years to come. They should be incredibly proud of the legacy they’ve created.”
Lucien Laviscount added:
“These incredible young people epitomise Community Impact Award winners! They saw a need, took action and delivered something that will help save lives. Their teamwork, drive and determination show that you don’t have to wait to make a difference - you can start right now. They are exceptional role models for so many other young people out there today. An outstanding achievement and so well deserved!”
Youth charity The King’s Trust gives young people the skills and confidence to get their lives on track. Three in four young people helped by The King’s Trust in the past five years have moved into work, training or education.