This week Margaret Aspinall visited Alsop High School to speak at the “My Community Matters” Forum. Margaret spoke about her fight for justice after the Hillsborough disaster. She spoke passionately about the strength of community in Liverpool. She encouraged the young people to be ambassadors of hope and renewal within their school and the North Liverpool community.

At the end of the session Margaret launched the Alsop Advent challenge, the “25 Days of Kindness” initiative. The young people were inspired to “Be the change they want to see.” During the weeks leading up to Christmas the young people have been assigned 25 simple tasks to facilitate kindness.  The initiative is also being used in Arnot St Mary  and Kirkdale St Lawrence Primary Schools.

Their role is to complete a daily act of kindness and encourage others to follow their lead. Students are encouraged to phone or message someone they may not have spoken to recently.  Other simple acts include a request to wash the dishes or to pick up ten pieces of litter.

The “My Community Matters Forum” is a weekly after school initiative to generate neighbourhood pride, form character and develop a “Network of Kindness” to bring people together. The participants are following the Common Good Schools programme.

A number of local partnerships are being explored as part of the community engagement element of the programme. Students are working with community artist and former pupil Nicola Taggart to design a large painted mural to depict and celebrate community life.