York student Hayley Carr is in the process of setting up a children’s charity, with the support of the YUSU RAG community fund.
The project named Lauriston Lights, after her primary school, aims to run a summer school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to help them reach their full potential and develop to become vocal young advocates in society.
Working alongside her is Cambridge student Jessica Clark-Jones, and Adam Seldon, fellow Derwent RAG representative.
The project has been partially funded by the newly formed community fund, an initiative provided by YUSU RAG. 10% of all funds raised by the RAG committee each year are allocated in order to “allow for the hard work of students at the University of York in fund-raising for RAG (Raising and Giving) to directly benefit the local community.”
The school is likely to be based in London and will run for two weeks next summer, directed entirely by university students from varying backgrounds who will work directly with the children.
Carr firmly believes education is the key to providing and changing children’s opportunities in life, and hopes the school will teach talented young children oral and debating skills, helping them to speak up with confident vocal energy so they can engage with people from all social an cultural backgrounds. The school also seeks to teach children’s philosophy to young members of society and host cultural workshops, educating in valuable life skills, introducing new activities and sparking an interest in subjects that disadvantaged children are unlikely to have been introduced to before.
Lauriston Lights will initially run for thirty Year 6 students, in the summer transition before they start secondary school.
The charity aspires to expand past York and Cambridge, to other cities in the UK, creating a handbook model meaning students from other universities can pick up and continue the idea without “the boring admin stuff.”