Twenty five students and staff from four schools in the ContinU Trust of Wyre Forest and Hagley have returned from a unique study programme at the headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Sixth Form students, from Haybridge High School, King Charles 1 School, Hagley Catholic High School and Stourport High School, joined forces for their five-day ‘Global Citizenship Study Programme’ during which they met expert representatives of 7 different UN agencies at the Palais Des Nations.

The coordinator of the visit, Michael Conroy Harris of The ContinU Trust, said “It is the first such joint foreign visit by so many local schools and is a unique opportunity for the young people to get a wider view of where their careers and talents could take them, while making a real difference to others.”

Laura Brennan, 17, from King Charles 1 School said – “Going to Geneva was honestly the trip of a lifetime! Being able to talk to the different UN representatives allowed me to broaden my knowledge and understanding of how they help people in emergencies and I have had the pleasure of making some great new friends!”

Amy Williams, 17, from Stourport High School and Sixth Form said “It has really inspired me to help others a lot more in the future, as there are many people that are in need”.

The students spent time before their visit researching the agencies in order to make the most of their visits and have all agreed to share their experiences with fellow students at their home schools over the coming academic year, as well as helping run campaigns in aid of one or two UN campaigns such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

Haybridge student Roxanna Richardson, 17, said the visit had shown her that “Helping everyone to reach their potential and have opportunities is how we can be global citizens. Showing care for others is important and something that is easy to do.”

“It’s the practical commitment to help share their insights by speaking to their peers that makes all the difference with this visit” said Mr Conroy-Harris, “it’s so much more than a holiday. The students come home full of ideas.”

Schools across The ContinU Trust are increasingly coordinating their citizenship work, on both local, national and global levels, with students and staff sharing resources, contacts and opportunities to save money and share best practice. Recent years have seen joint visits to Parliament and County Council events and this year saw the launch of the area wide Community Ambassadors Scheme and ‘Be The Change’ Awards.