Interesting Times!

Monday, 6 April 2009

When I visited Wortley High School recently I heard about another of our young stars...

One of Wortley's young people, Toni Elkington, won the Bupa Educational Achiever’ award at the Prince's Trust 'Celebrate Success Awards Yorkshire and the Humber'. Toni had a troubled relationship with her family and eventually things got so bad she went into care. Shortly after this, her mum passed away and Toni turned to drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis to block out the pain. She hardly ever went to school and when she did she was under the influence of drugs. The Prince's Trsut xl programme has given structure to Toni’s disjointed life. She is fantastic at motivating others, is a great team player and has lots of respect for the rest of the group. It’s had a huge impact on her self-esteem and she’s started to enjoy school and has taken all her GCSEs. Toni was one of just three young people from across the UK selected to compete the 'alfour Beatty Educational Achiever Award' at the Prince's Trust and RBS 'Celebrate Success' event in London on 31 March. Although Toni didn't win the award her's is a fantastic story where another young person's life has been turned around by brilliant provision; this time at Wortley High School supported by the Prince's Trust. Toni is working towards sixth form qualifications in art, design and mentoring and hopes to go to college to study construction.

Chris

2 comments:

John said...: What a fantastic story Chris. How heart warming to hear of a youngster overcoming such hurdles and starting to achieve.
Best Regards
John; 6 April 2009 at 15:14
Chris Edwards said...: Hi John,
It simply goes to show what can be achieved with persistence, determination and hard work.
Thanks
Chris; 6 April 2009 at 16:19

Brilliant Quotes!

“I must accept life unconditionally. Most people ask for happiness on condition. Happiness can only be felt if you don't set any condition.”
Margaret Lee Runbeck

“Happiness is not in our circumstances but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.”
John B. Sheerin

“Most true happiness comes from one's inner life, from the disposition of the mind and soul. Admittedly, a good inner life is difficult to achieve, especially in these trying times. It takes reflection and contemplation and self-discipline.”
William L Shirer

“The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase: If you pursue happiness you'll never find it.”
C.P. Snow

“Doubly rich is the man still boyish enough to play, laugh and sing as he carries and emanates sunshine along a friendly road.”
Charles R. Wiers

"Faith is not a shelter against difficulties, but belief in the face of all contradictions."
Paul Tournier

"Convictions are the mainsprings of action, the driving powers of life. What a man lives are his convictions."
Francis C. Kelley

"To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger; but jump in, and scramble through as well as we can."
Sydney Smith

"It is often just as sacred to laugh as it is to pray"
Charles R. Swindoll

"Things never go so well that one should have no fear; and never so ill that one should have no hope"
Turkish proverb

"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself"
Chinese proverb

"Don't bother to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."
William Faulkner

"In times of change, learners will inherit the earth,while the learned will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists"
Eric Hoffer

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans."
John Lennon

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."
Robert F. Kennedy

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems."
Mahatma Gandhi

"Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way."
Abraham Lincoln

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King Jr.

"There is nothing in life so difficult that it cannot be overcome. This faith can move mountains. It can change people. It can change the world."
Norman Vincent Peale

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
Albert Einstein

"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away."
Anonymous

"Patience and perseverence have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
John Quincy Adams

"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and woman to win them."
Ralph Waldo Emerson