Unicef Silver Award for Youth Commission-supporting students

Monday 15 February 2021

Hautes Capelles Primary School - which recently received the Silver Award from Unicef for students' work promoting the Rights of The Child - has been praised for its efforts to support a local youth charity.

Back in November, Hautes Capelles students voted for the Youth Commission to be their 'Christmas Charity'.

Since then, the school raised £500 through their Christmas Fete, Junior Carol Service and Choir and Reception Songs Around the Tree, as well as providing the Youth Commission with a reverse advent calendar which included items that were on the charity's wish list. 

The students have received a thank you card from Youth Commission CEO Charlie Cox for their hard work and fundraising efforts. The partnership has proved to be a productive one, with Senior Youth Worker Tracy Spearing and other YC staff helping to guide pupils in their efforts to secure international honours from Unicef. 

An amazing afternoon yesterday, thank you to our community for coming to our Christmas Fayre. The children loved taking their families round to show everyone’s hard work and creativity. pic.twitter.com/of1H0thwu2

— Hautes Capelles (@HautesCapelles) December 5, 2020

Pictured: One of the school's festive fundraisers, the proceeds from which have since been collected, added to other fundraising work, and handed over to the youth charity.

“I went into the school to do a mock inspection with the students and asked them questions about their rights and what they meant to them," said Ms Spearing.

"The students were very enthusiastic and very knowledgeable, it was pure joy to see, they have obviously worked very hard to gain their silver award.”

Assistant Headteacher Karen Fyfe said students are currently exploring ways to fundraise both in person and virtually, in light of current restrictions. 

“Staff from the Youth Commission have supported the Pupil Led Steering Group in how to lead and run the Steering Group and how to generate and debate ideas for their projects and write and implement their action plan," she said.

"The students were very enthusiastic and very knowledgeable"

"The children were keen to support a local charity to give back to their own community in the lead up to Christmas, especially one who supports children at Hautes Capelles. Their next fundraiser has a more global focus as they can’t wait to join in with the fun of Red Nose Day – hopefully in school but they are working on alternatives just in case.

"They are now looking to find ways to teach not only children, but the adults in the wider community about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which Guernsey was signed up to in 2020.”