Belfast pupils receive £1,000 Tesco grant to create digital media hub

• Extern Pathways Project in Belfast is to receive a £1,000 grant from Tesco to enable the school to create a digital media hub for its students Tesco is a partner for The King’s Trust Education Award and the four schools of the winning pupils each receive a grant from Tesco
• All the schools deliver the King’s Trust education programme, Achieve 

Extern Pathways Project in Belfast, is ending the school year with a huge boost after it was granted a £1, 000 grant from Tesco in honour of a pupil at the school, Patrick, winning the regional Tesco Education Award at The King’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards. 

Ceri O’Reilly, teacher at Pathways says:

“We are so grateful to Tesco for the life-changing grant it has awarded us. Our students manage to overcome life obstacles by engaging in a nurturing environment which balances their academic outcomes with their social and emotional journeys, whilst also building their resilience and making life-long friendships. We support our students to fall in love with learning again, to celebrate their milestones and to become more confident members of society. This grant will allow us to create a digital media hub. This will support our learners to become more adept in their digital skills, complete a qualification in creative digital arts and enter into the labour market more confident and ready to shine.”

Extern Pathways Project is a Delivery Partner of The King’s Trust, and delivers the youth charity’s in-school programme, ‘Achieve’. Achieve is a flexible personal development programme designed to support students, like award-winner Patrick, to succeed in education. Young people work together on practical learning projects, designed to boost confidence as well as improving self-esteem, attainment, behaviour and attendance.

Patrick, age 20 from Belfast, faced various struggles both at home and at school while growing up. His school attendance levels were low and he felt as though he was heading down a dark path. After support from Achieve and a determination never to give up, Patrick turned things around. Today, he is studying Politics and International Studies at university and tutors young people currently on the Achieve programme:

“Achieve allowed me to find myself and to learn more about giving back to the community, my peers and to those who gave a lot to me. The supportive environment my school provided gave me a safe space in which I could express myself and better understand who I am. I am grateful that Extern Pathways Project is receiving this money – it will provide current young people with the same opportunities that I had, which is amazing. It will enable them to learn in different ways and offers them freedom in how they learn.”

Since 2018, The King’s Trust have been working with Tesco to empower communities across the UK. Tesco primarily support The Trust’s education work, funding the Achieve programme, and contributing to the Education Hub which provides vital resources on topics like mental health and wellbeing, and enrichment opportunities such as world-of-work store tours.

More recently, the partnership has expanded to include in-work support for young people during their first three months of Tesco’s Stronger Starts Apprenticeship programme, helping them transition successfully from education into the world of work.

Alison Cheung, UK & ROI People Director at Tesco, said:

“We’re delighted to be able to support young people with these grants from Tesco which will make a real difference, and provide them access to new programmes and facilities. We were proud to again partner with The King’s Trust Education Award this year, and massive congratulations to all the winners who are all working towards a brighter future.”

Youth charity The King’s Trust gives young people the skills and confidence to get their lives on track. Three in four young people helped by The King’s Trust in the past five years have moved into work, training or education.