Students from the Outwood Grange Academies Trust have dedicated thousands of hours giving back to their local communities.

Launched in April 2025 in response to student feedback, the ‘Out There’ initiative was created to showcase that young people are a powerful force for good.

Students spent their summer holidays delivering a wide range of community projects, including revitalising green spaces, volunteering at food banks, and hosting intergenerational events in care homes.

Ultimately, more than 100 community action projects were delivered in the programme’s inaugural year.

placeholder image — Students spent their summer holidays delivering a wide range of community projects, including revitalising green spaces.

Now, a newly published Impact Report from the Outwood Trust confirms that the initiative has not only improved local neighbourhoods but has “significantly enhanced” student wellbeing, resilience, and leadership skills.

When asked why they chose to take part in the programme, more than 60 per cent of students cited helping others as their primary motivation.

One team that took part said: “We were motivated by the fact that most people see young people as being troublemakers, so we want to change people’s views on that.”

Another added: “We wanted to do this project because we think that older people can sometimes feel lonely, and we wanted to help cheer them up and bring people of all ages together.”

Last summer, Outwood students logged thousands of volunteering hours.

The launch of the Impact Report follows an awards ceremony held at Headingley Stadium earlier this year, hosted by broadcaster Tanya Arnold and attended by leaders from the

King’s Trust, West Yorkshire Police, and the Confederation of School Trusts.

The programme was also validated with the Community Impact Award at the 2025 Connect Yorkshire Business Awards.

The report spotlights ‘Team Helping Hands’ from the Outwood Grange Academy in Wakefield, who were crowned National Winners for their multifaceted work supporting the Wakefield Street Kitchen and improving local safety.

The community action projects will run until the end of August.

They were awarded an overnight stay and day passes to Disneyland Paris.

Julie Slater, chief executive principal at OGAT, commented: "We started ‘Out There’ because our students told us they wanted to step up, give back, and be seen as a force for good.

"They have done exactly that, and I couldn’t be prouder of everything they’ve achieved.”

The 2026 ‘Out There’ programme is now officially open for registrations.