Young people inspire a new award
A GRAMMAR school student determined to learn, despite serious ill health, is among the students who have been recognised as inspirational by a new award.
Emma Bannatyne joins Calum Ellis from Dalintober Primary School and the pupils of Clachan primary in receiving the Campbeltown branch of Argyll College UHI’s Inspirational Young Person of the Year award. Emma received the senior award, and Calum picked up the junior prize, while Clachan primary triumphed in the Active Participation Group category.
In Emma’s nomination
letter, Campbeltown Grammar depute head Catherine Cameron said she was a stand-out choice.
Resilience
She said: ‘Emma demonstrated a huge level of resilience and determination last year when, suddenly faced with the adversity of serious ill health, she resolutely pursued her aim of maintaining her attendance at school in order to complete her SQA diet of five qualifications.’
Dalintober Primary teacher Elspeth Campbell said the school nominated Calum because of his positive attitude and volunteering with many activities in school.
She added: ‘He has been a P7 Buddy and a member of our sports council which attained silver award. He is a good role model to younger children and has helped with clubs in school and has been a fantastic playground Buddy.’
While the individual awards recognise a young person for their own actions, efforts or achievements, the Active Participation Group award recognises the work of a group of youngsters who have actively, positively influenced their school or local community.
Clachan primary won the award for its annual Christmas cakes initiative, which sees every pupil in the school work together from November to bake 44 Christmas cakes which are hand-delivered to every retired person in the village.
Clachan head teacher Lucy Blake said: ‘This project, which has been going for 20 years, links the children to the older members of the community in a real and tangible way.
‘Clachan is a village with the school at its heart, and it is important to the school to keep links to the wider community.
Argyll College UHI principal Fraser Durie said the new scheme was a fantastic way for the college to further engage with the local community and, in particular, its schools.
‘I’m delighted the Campbeltown centre has established these awards because it’s impossible to understate the impact which having inspirational peers can have on young people,’ he said.
‘Too often these pupils who give so much to others go unrecognised. It’s great that schools and communities in the Campbeltown area now have a means through which they can get the recognition they deserve.’