2026-01-29T14:55:39+00:00

Oldmachar pupils champion Friends in philanthropic final

Five talented S2 pupils from Oldmachar Academy recently took to the stage to advocate for Friends of Roxburghe House Grampian as part of the annual Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI).

Mollie, Dhriti, Nina, Sophia and Freida chose to represent the charity after conducting their own independent research. While many students selected their causes following a charity fair held at the school in September, this group felt a personal connection to the work done at Roxburghe House and dedicated their efforts to highlighting its importance to the local community.

The journey to the final

YPI is a powerful active citizenship programme managed and principally funded by The Wood Foundation. It empowers young people to make a difference in their communities while developing confidence, teamwork and research skills. In each participating school, a full year group competes to secure a £3,000 grant for a local charity of their choice.

The girls' journey began in earnest during the autumn term when they identified Friends as their chosen cause, focusing on the vital support provided to patients and families.

After developing a creative and convincing presentation, the group successfully won their class semi-final in November. This achievement took them to the grand final at Oldmachar Academy on 12 December, where they competed against five other teams.

To reach this stage, the pupils had to put forward a convincing case, demonstrating exactly how a £3,000 grant would impact the charity’s local offerings.

Raising awareness

While the team narrowly missed out on the top prize, their participation provided invaluable exposure for us. They spoke passionately to an audience of peers, teachers and judges about the specialist palliative care services we support.

Amy McNaughton, business and community support officer at Oldmachar Academy, praised the pupils for their dedication: “Although the girls didn’t win, they were brilliant finalists and had produced a fantastic presentation on the charity helping to raise awareness of the work they do.”

Friends of Roxburghe House is incredibly proud of Mollie, Dhriti, Nina, Sophia and Freida. Their hard work ensures that the next generation remains aware of the essential comfort and care provided at Roxburghe House.

For more information on the programme, you can visit the YPI Scotland website.

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