Ayr Academy pupils shine in London
Kenny Smith Ayr Academy’s young consumer team were on a high after becoming runners- up in a national competition which saw them travel to London.
The team ended the dominance of Edinburgh’s Boroughmuir High School in the Scottish finals, which saw them represent Scotland at the UK semi- finals.
Again, the team’s dedication and hard work paid off, as they reached the national final.
Lauren Bowie from Ayr Academy was captain of the team, whose members were Rebecca Watson , Calvin Mossie, Nicole Wills and Erin Hastie ( reserve).
Lauren said: “Entered into the Scottish National Finals, we were a weary team with a lack of self- belief.
“However, we managed to win the finals by a significant number of points, eradicating many years of consecutive wins by Boroughmuir High School and consequently gaining a huge amount of confidence.
“We then advanced onto the UK Finals, representing our school as well as our country.
“The UK final was held as a two- day event with the semifinal being held on one day and the final on the following day.”
The semi- final included a range of various challenges to be solved relating to the topics of the young consumer curriculum – Food and Drink, Finance and Credit, Europe and Travel, Safety and Environment and Consumer Law – and was held under a strict time limit.
Lauren continued: The challenge part of the semi- final was then immediately followed by a treasure hunt situated in the centre of London around Westminster, Parliament Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Scotland Yard which was again under a time limit of one hour.
“Armed with a camera, map, a list of treasure to find and no previous knowledge of London, we sprinted off into the bustling city centre determined to secure our place in the final.
“The whole team – as well as our trusty tutor Mrs Ross, longterm moral support coach Ms Neil and a Trading Standards invigilator – were exhausted. After an agonisingly long night of waiting, the next morning we were ecstatic to find out that we were one of the four teams who had achieved a place in the UK final, held in the House of Commons.”
During their visit to London, the team managed to squeeze in some sightseeing, visiting Buckingham Palace and the London Eye.
The final was in the format of a quiz based on the curriculum topics as well as a general knowledge round, similar to the Scottish final in which the Ayr team had excelled.
Lauren continued: “The quiz was of an extremely high standard but the team managed to stay calm and answer as many questions as possible.
“After the quiz, all seven original teams, their supporters and a wealth of Trading Standards staff were whisked off on a cruise down the Thames where the awards ceremony was held.
“The team and I were delighted to find out we had secured second place gaining the official title of second- best Young Consumer Team in the UK!
“We were awarded our medals, certificates and goody bags by Leon Livermore – the CEO of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Although, we were slightly disappointed having narrowly missed out on first place.”
However, the team were down but not out after finishing as runners- up in the competition.
Lauren added: “Being a part of Ayr Academy’s young consumer team was an amazing experience, allowing me to gain knowledge in a wide array of topics which I can put to use throughout the rest of my life.
“Being captain of the team required a lot of dedication and commitment but the outcome has been extremely positive for the team and I, and we eagerly look forward to tutoring next year’s team in the hope that they can surpass our place in the UK finals and rank first.
“The team and I would like to give special thanks to Rosemary Ross who consistently tutored our team whilst being acting PT of the Home Economics department, Kay Watson from South Ayrshire Trading Standards who tutored us multiple times each week, and Corri Wilson MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock - and former Ayr Academy pupil - who managed to free up some of her time whilst in London to give us a personalised tour of Westminster.”