Students selected for UN project in New York

THE Big Apple is calling for three Oldham College students.

The trio have been chosen to fly to New York to work on a United Nations (UN) sustainable development project.

Sinead Fletcher (18), from Fitton Hill, Taylor-Marie Webb (19), from Chadderton, and Gemma Rothwell (22), from Shaw, pitched their ideas to a panel at the college to secure what they thought was one coveted role.

But the Financial and Professional Services students where left stunned when all three were invited to travel to America in August for a 16-day project organised by World Merit, a global organisation tackling climate change, poverty and inequality.

They will join 360 young people from 100 countries to discuss and develop ideas to tackle one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) — 17 of the most pressing issues facing the world.

The international group will be tasked with preparing an action plan that can be used in communities throughout the world to improve people’s lives and will also present its plan to the UN General Assembly.

Amazing

The trip will be funded by Oldham College, the Stoller Charitable Trust and Oldham Business Leadership Group, with the three students having to raise £5,000 towards the cost.

Taylor-Marie, who spoke to the panel about gaining skills as well as grades in education, said: “We were totally shellshocked when they said we were all going. We’d been saying before our pitches how we wished we could all go so it’s amazing that we can.”

Gemma, who runs her own mobile photography studio, focused her pitch on gender equality and the gender pay gap, the LGBT community and maternity and paternity leave in business.

She said: “Going to visit the UN will be amazing. It’s great that we get a chance to do this.”

Sinead, who spoke about gender equality in the media and films, said: “I’m really looking forward to meeting people from across the world and working together to put our idea to the UN.

“We’re the future generation and we want to be listened to.”

Sitting on the judging panel were cokkege principal Alun Francis, Chris Arnold, the founder of World Merit, Jiska Van Wijk, of World Merit, and Kashif Ashraf, from the Stoller Charitable Trust.

Mr Francis said: “We are all incredibly proud of our three students who have got through earlier assessments to reach this stage.

“Our vocational education challenges our students to do their very best, aim high with regard to their future career and at the same time be good, engaged citizens.

“All displayed these admirable qualities and they now have the chance to work on a prestigious UN project.”

Chris Arnold said: “I am hugely impressed with the drive, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by the students to get to the final selection panel.

“This is an incredible, life-changing opportunity. The students are going to be ambassadors for Oldham and and an inspiration to thousands of other students across the borough.”