Young Leaders in Hartington are working with their community to create new insect habitats in their local area.

Hartington C of E Primary School have recently signed up to run the KS1 and KS2 Young Leaders Awards (YLA). The YLA not only teaches values like confidence, compassion and teamwork, it also gives the Young Leaders opportunities to put them into practice by thinking about how they can support their local communities to create positive change.

The pupils from Hartington C of E Primary School chose to work closely with local residents to plan and deliver two community action projects within Covid safety guidelines.   

Their plans are to build new wildflower and insect-rich habitats on the schoolgrounds and in their village. Displaying the school’s vision and ethos of ‘loving our neighbour as we love ourselves,’ children chose to dedicate one of the wildflower areas to Bel Kerr, a late and much-loved resident of the village. It has affectionately been named ‘The Blue Bel Garden.’  

Pupils are also taking part in a programme to support the wider community’s commitment to tackling litter and fly tipping in their area.

The Young Leaders Award is a fully resourced leadership and character education programme, designed by the Archbishop of York Youth Trust, to be delivered by teaching staff within the classroom. The Award has empowered over 100,000 pupils from 950 schools to learn and practise key leadership skills and character virtues and to transform their communities through social action. Available at KS1 to KS4/+16, the YLA has clear links to SMSC, British Values, PSHE, Character Education, Citizenship, RE and SIAMS.

Tracy Blackwell, Head Teacher of Hartington C of E Primary School, said:

‘The connectivity with our amazing village community always has been an essential part of school life, but it’s been so vitally important during the past year of the pandemic. Since January, we’ve been thinking about opportunities where we can start to establish some safe ways of reconnecting with our local village by being actively involved in community projects.’  

‘We’re really excited to be taking part in the Archbishop of York Youth Trust Award and look forward to working with knowledgeable, passionate and kind local residents to make sure that Hartington remains an inspirational location to learn, live and visit.’  

A pupil taking part in the YLA said:

‘We have enjoyed working with members of the community prior to the pandemic and keeping in touch with them via letters during the lockdowns. This helped to ensure everyone’s mental health and wellbeing. Being in isolation from our friends and families was very lonely, sad, and sometimes depressing, so we are all really excited and looking forward to working with our community again.’ 

The KS1 and KS2 YLA provide pupils with lots of opportunities to develop their social skills, moral reasoning and leadership qualities through exploring a diverse range of inspirational people and the work of charities on a local, national and global level. Pupils are encouraged to flex their character muscles, speak out about the issues that matter to them and consider the role they can play in making a positive difference at home, in school and in the wider community.

For more information on the Young Leaders Award, click here or email yla@abyyt.com.