William Ellis pupils debate Alastair Campbell at our first event

On Thursday 23rd October over 130 alumni and other supporters from the local community and beyond gathered at the school for our first ever event as the William Ellis Trust.

They were treated to an inspiring debate involving six current pupils at the school and renowned journalist, author and podcaster Alastair Campbell. Their discussion was wide-ranging covering topics from their aspirations for the future, the importance of listening to the young, the lowering of the voting age and the importance of building inclusive spaces. As one young panelist opined on the topic of hope “we can only thrive in an environment that suits not only us, but everyone else as well.”

It was an evening packed full of positivity but that recognised the many challenges facing young people today, and the audience was united by the question posed by Alastair’s bestselling book “But What Can i Do?” All at the school and trust are grateful to have such a supportive community - and are sure our future is in good hands if these six pupils are anything to go by.

From the Trust perspective, there is so much we can all do and some big projects coming up in the weeks and months ahead for all to be involved with. We look forward to working with many of you on these.

We will be releasing the full discussion, an shorter film and particularly inspiring clips in the weeks ahead so please do check back on here and follow us on LinkedIn to.