Published on:
22
November 2022
A Lornshill Academy pupil was recently introduced to HRH The Princess Royal after graduating from a leadership academy.
Luke Sutherland, who is in S3 at Lornshill, was selected to participate in a Columba 1400 Values Based Leadership experience with eleven other young people from his school.
HRH The Princess Royal is a patron of Columba 1400 and she recently attended an event celebrating the social enterprise at the Blair Estate in Ayrshire which Luke was invited to attend.
She listened to the stories of some Columba 1400 young graduates and learned about the enormous impact the Young People's Leadership Academy has had.
Luke said: "Meeting Princess Anne was an experience I'll never forget. Columba 1400 is something I think every child should experience because you'll have experiences there that will shape and change your life."
Columba 1400 has worked with Clackmannanshire Council since 2018, supporting experiences for young people in our secondary schools.
Luke was selected to participate in a Columba 1400 Young People's Leadership Academy in September 2021.
Following his Columba 1400 experience Luke and his group decided to work with another Columba 1400 group in the school to create a primary school transition project - 24 young people working with four members of staff. The transition project involved going into each of the seven cluster primary schools to share information about Lornshill’s values and to ease the transition into secondary school. This was followed by a tour of the secondary school and a ‘mini timetable experience’ all supported by the Columba 1400 young people. The Columba 1400 group at Lornshill has also hosted an information evening for parents and carers.
Lornshill Depute Head Phil Arnold said: “Luke gained a great deal from his Columba 1400 experience and participating in the transition project with others in the group. He has gained more confidence and self-belief and has developed a wider network of friends. Luke is a deep thinker and has started to realise that he can become a leader, able to rationalise issues and overcome barriers. His teachers are very proud of him.”
Recently the school was contacted about a suitable pupil to attend the event at the Blair Estate and Luke was chosen as he had played a key role in all the Columba activities and initiatives.