Renée’s trip of a lifetime

A Year 10 student at St Cuthbert’s Catholic Community College for Business and Enterprise has expressed her delight after winning a Virgin Atlantic Scholarship for a once in a lifetime trip to India.

Renée Pattenden will be one of only 30 British teenagers selected from the thousands that applied to travel to Udaipur in Rajasthan, India, this August, as part of a team representing ‘Free the Children’ – a global charity that promotes empowerment and social activism among young people.

In order to qualify for this dream trip, each entrant had to write a personal statement about why they wanted to take part and what skills and qualities they could offer, as well as producing a creative piece inspired by the work of Free The Children.

GCSE Fine Art student, Renée, one of the founding members of the  ‘Cuthies Act’, a group set up in the school to highlight global issues and raise funds for Free The Children, chose to create a painting on the topic of education, as it is one of the main focuses of Free The Children’s work.

Renée said: “I applied because I want to help others who don’t have the opportunities that I have. I never want to take my life for granted. I believe everyone should have a school education and enough money to support their family.

“I couldn’t believe it when they called me about the trip; I never dreamed I would get picked. It will be such a special summer.”

During her trip, Renée, who has never visited a non-English speaking country, will get to explore the sights and sounds of Indian culture, meet with local young people, and take part in a series of workshops exploring global issues.

She will also work on a building project as part of Free The Children’s ‘Adopt A Village’ programme, helping out on building either a school or a water supply.

I will be able to share my experiences in India at school in September and develop the work of the ‘Cuthies Act.’” she added.”