Young Person’s Project
est. 2001
Director Introduction
My name is Mac Sanderson and I'm this year's Young Person's Project (YPP) Director for 2025/26. I'm a third-year sociology student and I am thrilled to be leading such an exciting project.
Overview
Since 2004, YPP has been raising the aspirations of 14/15-year-old pupils from disadvantaged areas in the North East.
Motivation
YPP understands the significant stress that young people face from multiple directions: undertaking their GCSEs, belonging within friendship groups and planning their futures. These challenges can be extremely daunting and overwhelming for many young people. YPP has found that these pupils often lack self-confidence and positive role models. YPP aims to bridge this gap.
What We Do
YPP volunteers adapt to whatever role each young person needs most – whether that's being a supportive teammate, an encouraging teacher, or simply a trusted friend. We design our programme around confidence - building activities and practical skill development, with particular emphasis on fostering creativity, developing leadership abilities, and strengthening teamwork.
The programme runs during the Easter term, spanning January through March. We structure it as six weekly sessions where our team visits students at their schools, building relationships and momentum over time. Everything comes together in our residential experience at Mildert, where students spend four days at college.
Students tackle challenges like our Dragon's Den-style team competition, practise their interview skills in realistic mock scenarios, and experience new challenges through an off-site trip. It's designed to be both challenging and supportive.
Outcomes
YPP transforms students both in the present moment and for their future journey. It's not just building confidence on the day. YPP aims to fundamentally expand what these young people believe is possible for themselves. Through the programme, students gain genuine insight into the breadth of opportunities available to them, whilst developing the self-belief necessary to pursue ambitious goals, regardless of which direction they ultimately choose.
Many discover that higher education, which may have seemed out of reach before, becomes a genuine aspiration. It's about showing them what's possible and giving them the confidence to believe they belong in those spaces.




