Brighton youngsters given help turning community project ideas into action

Young people from Brighton have been given support to help them turn ideas for community projects into reality.

The four groups, from Bevendean and Moulsecoomb, have each received a Pegasus Award from the Aldridge Foundation, the educational charity behind two Brighton and Hove schools.

The award was developed to help youngsters with an idea to make something positive happen in their local community. They are matched with a top-notch mentor and supported with £500 cash.

Chloe Idle and Sky Thomas, both 12, will work with Georgina Angele, from Brighton and Hove Jobs, to develop a “pop-up” support service for local children and young people.

Mitchell Coates and Rabbit Kiabalenga, both 15, will establish a programme of football coaching and playing opportunities for local children overseen by mentor Stuart Christie, from Albion in the Community.

Sir Rod Aldridge

Rebecca Mahoney and Megan Jacquemai, both 14, will set up a card and gift company focusing on same-sex original designs supported by mentor Clive Lawson, vice-president at Amex.

The final award went to the Bevendean Activities Group which is trying to develop a sustainable business model for their group.

The youngsters will work with mentor Sir Rod Aldridge, the chairman and founder of the Aldridge Foundation.

Sir Rod, who went to school in Portslade, set up and ran Capita, the professional support services business.

His foundation now sponsors his old school as the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) and the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) in Falmer.

On selecting mentors, Lewis Carr, 15, from the Bevendean Activities Group, said: “Our group chose to be mentored by Sir Rod Aldridge although we did have offers from other mentors.

“But we thought that our project would be better if we worked with the person with the best business experience.”

While the latest Pegasus Awards were given out at BACA, pupils from Portslade will have a chance to win help for their ideas for community projects in the new year.

And a live event to stimulate ideas will be hosted at PACA on Saturday 16 March.

Learn more at www.aldridgecommunities.wordpress.com or by watching the YouTube video below.

For more information contact community manager Natasha Silsby on 01273 691191 x2044 or email her at nsilsby@baca-uk.org.uk.