East Thanet MP Polly Billington visited Royal Harbour Academy recently, engaging Year 7 students in the Change Makers programme, part of KMPF’s programme in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University.
The interactive session welcomed Year 7 students from Royal Harbour Academy, Hartsdown Academy, and King Ethelbert School, who have taken part in six sessions of the Change Makers programme. During the programme, pupils tackled societal and environmental issues, including animal cruelty, LGBTQ+ support, knife crime, homelessness, the cost-of-living crisis, and the climate emergency, creating posters, poems, and graphic novels to bring their ideas to life.
A Year 7 Royal Harbour Academy student involved in the project said: “The experience of Change Makers helps me overcome my fear of talking in front of people. Now I feel that I can do that. It has given me a new skill of listening, understanding, and building on people’s feedback, so I can communicate with other people about my message.”
Polly Billington, MP for East Thanet, said: “It was inspiring to meet young people at the Royal Harbour Academy in Ramsgate and hear their thoughts on what community means to them.
“I know the importance of learning to speak up and speak out, and the Change Makers programme does fantastic work supporting students in schools across Thanet to do just that. “It’s vital not only for the workplace, but for life: to make the case for yourself, for your loved ones, and for your community.
“I look forward to seeing many more confident, articulate young people in Thanet as a result of this important programme.”
The Change Makers initiative seeks to boost pupils’ confidence, creativity, and civic awareness, helping raise aspirations and academic success, especially in humanities and arts subjects.