Print Newsletter January 2012
Transcription
Print Newsletter January 2012
THE JA IO N IN G PEOPLE SI UN SI E PL N G CE IN YO UN 199 G N9 CE 199 9 BACK BACK YO IO N THE AT JA C H E YK FPEOTCUHEY FOUND C ND AT CK PET G PEO GLEE-FUL ... All-singing, all-dancing talent at the Glee Club Challenge grand final! p.3 1 Jack Petchey Foundation Newsletter - Issue 12 | 2012 A WORD FROM JACK PETCHEY CBE The young people whom the Jack Petchey Foundation supports never cease to make me proud. From the amazing talents displayed at the Glee Club Challenge Final to the volunteers which made up our float in the latest annual Lord Mayor’s Show, I have watched as young people give their all, bursting with energy and enthusiasm. It is an inspiration! In other areas of the Foundation’s work, young people show their inclination to help and to give. Our partnership campaign with Anthony Nolan has recruited over 1,000 new blood stem cell donors to date. Students at the Petchey Academy called the decision to sign up to the register a “no-brainer”. I agree, and would encourage anyone who hasn’t signed up yet to consider it - you could save a life. I am particularly excited to see the launch of our new Achievers Network. These young ambassadors for the Jack Petchey Foundation will receive training and mentoring over the next 18 months, and have already been volunteering at our events. We look forward to seeing them develop in their roles. Young people clearly have such a lot to give, if only given the opportunity. I hope you will be as inspired as I am by some of the stories in this newsletter! Spotlight on our NEW Achievers Network!! Introducing two of our new members... An exciting pilot programme that puts young people’s voices at the centre of the Jack Petchey Foundation. The Jack Petchey Foundation has launched a unique network which will empower young people to participate in our work and inspire others. We want to harness the enthusiasm and potential of young people so we went in search of young leaders from across London and Essex. hool) anstead High Sc g Lewis Hooper (W of being a youn t ou t u like to ge What would yo the Foundation? ow ambassador for d continue to gr new people an et me to ck to the ba g in I want th me so ilst giving as a person, wh . ity un comm Ola Ojuko (T he Swift Cent re, Plaistow) Well done fo r being select ed to join th How do you fe e Network! el? I am very ex cited... The other Young were lovely, Achievers and I can’t w ait to work w ith them! 30 young members from a wide range of schools, colleges and youth organisations have been selected to join the network. They’re an extremely diverse group, but all share the same values and passion to help and encourage other young people to achieve! Over the next 18 months, Achievers Network Members will gain valuable work experience, explore their strengths, shape the work of the Foundation and take their achievements to the next level. What will Achievers Network members be up to? •Representing the Jack Petchey Foundation at key events •Speaking to the media on behalf of the Foundation •Launching voluntary projects to help other young people in their local communities •Campaigning on behalf of young people across London and Essex •Driving our ‘Listen Up!’ Think Tank to ensure the voices of young people are heard •Meeting other youth organisations in London and Essex to see what positive work can be done together •Blogging on behalf of The Jack Petchey Foundation •Shaping our future grant-making and activities for young people 2 www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk Jack Petchey Glee Club Challenge 2011 After months of training, workshops, rehearsals and regional competitions, the ten finalists of the Jack Petchey Glee Club Challenge 2011 hit the stage for the Grand Final. The competition was fierce and all the groups did themselves proud. However, in the end, there could only be one group crowned as ‘Glee Club 2011 Champions’! On 20th November, friends, family and supporters gathered at the famous Savoy Theatre in London to see ten regional Glee Club winners battle it out in front of a star-studded judging panel. TV personality Graham Norton, soap star and West End performer Tamsin Outhwaite and highly esteemed Artistic Director Michael Fentiman were among the eight judges who chose the 2011 champions. t) Tamsin Judges included (left to righ ton Nor ham Gra Outhwaite and “I found them amazing, self possessed and confident in a way that I could never have been at their age. Some of the presentations were so moving they made us cry.” Graham Norton, Judge The Jack Petchey Glee Club Challenge first launched last May to find budding show choirs from across London and Essex and help them to develop their performance skills. The competition culminated with the Grand Final, an event kick-started by a fantastic performance of ‘Joyful Joyful’ from Ilford Ursuline Gospel Choir. Throughout the evening the audience were treated to an array of show stopping acts. The Deborah Day Theatre School shined with a stripped-back acoustic version of ‘If you’re not the one’ whilst Palmers College gave X Factor contestants a run for their money with a medley of Rhianna hits. All ten groups put their own mark on modern and classic hits, and all were completely unique! spel Choir, in e Go Ilford Ursulin Runners up, action “Thank you for the opportunity to perform at this wonderful event and on such an amazing stage! We’ll never forget this experience!” Jake Aldridge, FUSION member It was Fusion FBS, a group of 9 talented students from Friern Barnet School, who ultimately wowed the judges. Their energetic performances – featuring an interpretation of Whitney Houston’s ‘Wanna Dance’ and mash-up of the Baywatch theme tune – saw them steal the show and take home the winning trophy and £2,000 prize. Fusion FBS started in 2009 and is mentored by Henry Perkins who joined the school as a music teacher only last year. He said: “We are absolutely amazed and so, so happy and excited to be winners of this wonderful event.” Fusion FBS receiving the trophy 3 Jack Petchey Foundation Newsletter - Issue 12 | 2012 Leader Award for the Lord Mayor! On Saturday 12th November 2011, the Jack Petchey Foundation took to the streets of London as part of the annual Lord Mayor’s Show - with flags, dancers, stilt walkers, balloons, acrobats and a bright red bus! We paraded alongside 6,000 other people in a procession which dates back as far as the year 1213. The journey through the heart of London marks the new Lord Mayor coming into office. At the Royal Courts of Justice, they must swear loyalty to the crown (i.e. the King or Queen of England) before returning to their new home at Mansion House. This longstanding tradition gives London a chance to show itself at its best. The Jack Petchey Foundation brought together police cadets from South London, young people with special needs from Kids Can Achieve (based in Harrow), acrobats and gymnasts from East London (the Ascension Eagles), stilt walkers from Albert and Friends Instant Circus (Hammersmith and Fulham), ‘powerbockers’ from Essex on sprung stilts and a large group of dancers to create our “float”. Despite the early start on a cold Saturday morning, there were smiles all round from the 162 participants as the parade got underway. Jack Petchey looked on proudly from the VIP stand as we rounded the corner at Mansion House in full view of the television cameras. To the delight and cheering of the crowds, acrobats from the Ascension Eagles presented the new Lord Mayor, Alderman David Wootton, with a Jack Petchey Leader Award! A further 1.7 miles and we reached the Royal Courts of Justice, followed by a quick stop for lunch on the Strand and the return leg of the journey. By the end of the day, even the police cadet staff had learnt the routine to “Come Follow the Band” and were dancing along… (See 2nd photo from top). Thank you to all who took part and helped us to showcase young people’s tremendous positivity and energy to hundreds of thousands of Londoners! 4 www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk “MAN ON A MISSION” RECrUITS OVER 1,000 BLOOD STEM CELL DONORS In November 2011, charity Anthony Nolan launched a partnership campaign with the Jack Petchey Foundation to recruit more stem cell donors onto their register. The “Man on a Mission” campaign was fronted by comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, who attended a variety of events around London to engage local communities and encourage people to join the register. Hardeep also spent time chatting to young people at Jack Petchey Foundation events. Saturday 12 November Hardeep began the day with an early morning interview, before heading to Battersea Park to shout messages of support to a team of Telegraph employees who were taking part in the Men’s Health ‘Survival of the Fittest’ challenge to raise funds for Anthony Nolan. Then it was onto Tooting Market, where he challenged shoppers to maintain stony faces while performing live comedy in front of them. Sunday 13 November Students at Queen Mary University had their weekend lie-ins rudely interrupted by Hardeep, who woke them up by shouting about Anthony Nolan through a loudspeaker. It wasn’t all bad though – anyone who braved the early morning cold to sign up to the register were given a bacon sandwich as thanks. To Brick Lane for the afternoon, where Hardeep engaged visitors to the bustling street market. Hardeep rounded off the day by cooking dinner for young people who have worked with the Jack Petchey Foundation. Monday 14 – Thursday 17 November During the week we ran a number of recruitment events, raising awareness and recruiting donors everywhere from the London Jazz Festival to St Thomas’ Hospital and University College London. Friday 18 November Hardeep opened the final day of the campaign with an educational talk at the Petchey Academy in Dalston, where presenter Katie Campling taught the Academy students about the importance of stem cell donation, dispelling myths and answering questions about the process. Katie also explained that the 16-17 year olds present could pre-register their interest in becoming a donor, and they would be contacted by Anthony Nolan on their 18th birthday in order to complete their application. Finally, it was off to the Centre of the Cell in Whitechapel, where everyone who had worked on the campaign together with guests, including Jack Petchey, celebrated a successful week of awareness-raising and recruitment. At the time of going to press, over 1,100 people have joined the register as a result of the campaign. If you are 16 or over, and would like to pre-register or sign up, please visit www.anthonynolan.org/manonamission, where you can also find out more information about the campaign. 5 Jack Petchey Foundation Newsletter - Issue 12 | 2012 Step into Dance, a partnership community dance programme between the Royal Academy of Dance and the Jack Petchey Foundation, is breaking ground in the 2011/12 academic year with a series of events encouraging young dancers to develop their contemporary dance, hip hop and breakdance skills. Photo by Zoe Troughton STEP INTO… CONTEMPORARY AND HIP HOP Step in2 Battle events turn the spotlight firmly on hip hop and breakdance. The black-and-white chequered floor is laid down and thrown open to dancers, who battle it out to claim the titles of King and Queen of Swagga, Sickest Skill, Freshest Flavour and more… Recent winners included Base Element, an all-girl team from Harris Academy South Norwood, who whacked, popped, locked, krumped and old-schooled their way to victory! Watch this Step events, in contrast, focus on contemporary dance. Young people already taking part in Step into Dance at school have the opportunity to share class-work, perform pieces which are still in development and to work on site-specific dances and improvisation. In an informal atmosphere, the aim is to encourage experimentation and creativity. Watch this Step events have this year taken place at Townley Grammar School (Bexley) and Mulberry School for Girls (Tower Hamlets). Through these performance opportunities Step into Dance students gain more confidence in their ability and a better understanding of the dance styles learnt in their weekly classes. This is just one of the reasons why Step into Dance is now the biggest secondary school dance programme in the UK! Find out more at www.stepintodance.org WINNERS! HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR MEDALLIONS? The stage is set for you! Our regional celebration events are gearing up to dazzle Achievement Award winners from youth organisations across London and Essex once more in 2012. On the night, musicians and dancers get people dancing in their seats with fantastic performances, while our speciallyinvited VIPs and cheering audiences make winners feel celebrated to the skies. Celebration events are free to attend for award winners and their guests. What are you waiting for? Come along! Upcoming dates include: Friday 24 February – Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford – 7.30 pm Wednesday 29 February – Secombe Theatre, Sutton – 7.30 pm Thursday 1 March – Secombe Theatre, Sutton – 7.30 pm Monday 5 March – Civic Theatre, Chelmsford – 7.30 pm To find a full list of dates or to book your tickets, visit www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk and click on Celebration Events”. We look forward to seeing you! 6 www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk Small Grant gives GUIDES a taste of WINDSURFING The Jack Petchey Foundation’s Small Grants Fund gives them said “‘Are we windsurfing next year?’” organisations a chance to apply annually for grants of up Find out more and apply to the Small Grants Fund on our to £500 towards a project which supports their young website. people. One Guide Leader tells us how her grant was used: “In April 2011 I was fortunate enough to receive a small grant from The Jack Petchey Foundation. With it I was able to provide windsurfing for 25 guides in Poole Harbour! “For many of the 5th Sutton Guides this was the first time they had ever experienced such an activity. Poole Harbour was an excellent venue as the water is very shallow for a great length of the harbour so the girls felt safe. They had to work in pairs and learnt to trust their partner. Each guide came back from the event bursting with confidence at what they had achieved and feeling proud. As one of LIFE-CHANGING VOLUNTEERING IN INDIA Through our Individual Grants for Volunteering Fund we support young people taking part in volunteering projects, both in their local communities and abroad, through grants of up to £300. Katie Kemp recently received a grant towards taking part in “Project Manvi”, based in Karnataka, Southern India. Katie and other volunteers helped with the ongoing construction of a sixth-form college as well as teaching in the local primary school. She tells us about the experience: “To say what I enjoyed the most is difficult, based on the fact that every day would present me with new challenges and discoveries. Despite the same routine, no two days would be the same. Interacting with the kids and developing my relationship with them was the best thing – and they taught me so much. I worked with a first standard class which was made up of nineteen boys and girls aged 5-6. Our first lesson was a disaster, and nothing productive was achieved. However, over the course of my time there we developed a relationship of mutual respect, and by the last week the kids would open their books immediately on me entering the classroom, which meant a great deal to me. “The trips we made to Pannur also affected me deeply; we travelled with the sisters who worked at the hospital and learnt about the amazing work they are doing in the villages. They are working with the villagers in attempt to progress the rights of the women and to educate the children, so they can enhance their future opportunities against the odds of the caste system.” “My experiences in India have been invaluable to me, and I feel it has deeply enhanced my understanding and shifted my perspective significantly. The work we did out there gave us purpose; the kids out there have most definitely made an immense impact in my life. If offered the opportunity, I would go back to Manvi without a second thought.” Find out more and apply to the Individual Grants for Volunteering Fund on our website. 7 Jack Petchey Foundation Newsletter - Issue 12 | 2012 P ND IO N THE CK E E TC H Y F O U AT JA IN BRIEF IN UN SI N G CE 199 9 BACK YO G PEOPLE Achievement Award Scheme – Open for applications The Jack Petchey Foundation wishes to support further schools and youth organisations across London and Essex through our Achievement Award Scheme. If you know of organisations working with young people who could benefit, please encourage them to apply! See full details on our website under “How to Apply”. Leader Awards - Celebrating adults too! If your organisation participates in the Achievement Award scheme, why not think about rewarding inspirational adults as well as your young people? Find out more about this annual award and apply online through our website. ETTA Jack Petchey London Schools’ Table Tennis Programme 180 free table tennis tables, funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation, have been applied for by schools and colleges across London. Westminster Kingsway College was among the first of 77 successful organisations to receive their tables from the English Table Tennis Association. Jack Petchey achievers from Newham meet their MP Ten Achievement Award winners met Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham, during a visit to the Palaces of Westminster. The young people who came from Newham-based Ascension Eagles, as well as Langdon, St Bonaventures and Plashet Schools were given a tour around Westminster and met with Stephen Timms, who answered their questions. They were also presented with Achievement Award medallions in recognition of their accomplishments ranging from volunteering and charity work to directing a play at their school. The four 2011 Grand Final winners are Najae Hackett, Megan Cass, Joel Oyelese, & Nathan Nwachukwu. Speak Out Challenge launched for 2011/12 Speak Out regional champions from across London and Essex met the Speaker of the House of Lords, Baroness d’Souza, to launch the 2011/12 Speak Out Challenge. The 26 young people enjoyed a tour of the House of Lords and a formal reception in the River Room, where the four 2011 Grand Final winners delivered powerful speeches about the personal benefits and confidence that have come from their public speaking training. The four winners (pictured with Baroness D’Souza and Jack Petchey CBE) were Najae Hackett, Grand Gala Champion 2011 from City of London Academy, Southwark; Megan Cass, St Philomena’s Catholic High School for Girls; Joel Oyelese, Westcliff High School for Boys and Nathan Nwachukwu, Chafford School. Address: Exchange House, 13-14 Clements Court, Clements Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 2QY Telephone: 0208 252 8000 Email: mail@jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk Registered Charity: 1076886 8 www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk