Premier League Inspires aims to tackle issues around pupils who have low commitment to school.

Pupils from Atherton High School and Up Holland High School presented their social action projects virtually to a judging panel.
Social action ideas covered ways in which they wanted to improve young people’s mental health within a school environment.
Judging the competition included Wigan Athletic players Scott Smith and Adam Long.

Pupils from Atherton High School have been crowned winners of Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s virtual Premier League Inspires challenge.

The virtual event, hosted by the Community Trust, saw pupils from Atherton High School and Up Holland High School present social action ideas to a panel of judges around the subject of improving young people’s mental health at school.

Judging the competition were Wigan Athletic players Scott Smith and Adam Long, Assistant Head of Academy, Jake Campbell, Safeguarding Officer, Genna Banks, Education Support Officer at the Premier League, Lee Collier and former Latics scholar Joe McWilliam.

Scott, who took part in a Premier League Enterprise event with the Community Trust back in 2015 was impressed with the efforts of both sets of pupils.

He said: “I thought both presentations were very good and a lot of thought has clearly gone into the ideas presented to us and the pupils showed very good knowledge on their subjects.

“We had a difficult decision in picking a winner but a big well done to the group from Atherton whose inclusion of a personal experience was very brave but something that deserves high praise and will only benefit others going forward when talking about mental health issues.”

Ran in partnership with the PFA and Prince’s Trust, the Inspires programme aims to combat issues around pupils not reaching their full potential and give them that extra bit of input to help them get on in school and in their outside lives.

Atherton High School win virtual Premier League Inspires challenge