Hot news: we are delighted to announce the return of the Young Scotland and Northern Ireland Programme! The early weeks of the New Year will see this joint course (which has a history going back to 2003) relaunch as an annual event. The venue is Troon, Scotland. The dates are 28 to 31 January. Click here for the brochure with full details and booking form.
Our final event of 2019 will be the Young Ireland Programme – that’s from 19 to 22 November. As always, it will be held in Scotland. Registration for this popular annual event closes on Friday 27 September – don’t leave it until the last moment. Click here for the booking form and all you need to know.
We are all looking forward to our next event – the upcoming Young Scotland Programme (30 September to 3 October). This event is fully booked so if you were hoping to take part, why not join us instead in January (see above)?
The unseasonal weather outside did nothing to dampen the spirits at the Summer Young England and Wales Programme in Lancaster in early June. On the final evening the England and Wales Young Thinker of the Year title went to Peter Gallagher, who is currently on a work placement with the Pension Protection Fund. Peter's paper on 'Bloody Sunday' was praised for its 'passion, powerful phrase-making... writing that was never gratuitous... and a commanding presence at the lectern'. Sarah Moore (British Horse Society) was runner-up. Her paper on social media was described as 'lively, thorough, authoritative and searching' and she was praised for her relaxed, confident style and superb eye contact with the audience. Lizzie Ellis (ActionAid UK) was highly commended, and Aisha Ibrahim and Nicholas Mainwaring, both representing the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, were commended. The winning group was Group E – Gurpreet Grewal (NHS England), James Jefferson (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), Trudie Mordue (British Heart Foundation), and Caroline Thomas (Duke of Edinburgh's Award). Dan Stephenson (CYBG) won the award for Best 90 Second Challenge with his question: 'Is the "bumbling dad" trope dangerous?' Click here for photographs.
