Trust Youth began on a hillside in Nepal on a Whizz Kidz fund-raising trek. John Crossman, deputy chief executive of Education Extra and the Whizz Kidz education team outlined a scheme to introduce young people to the principles of fundraising and working in the voluntary and community sector. The scheme was trialled in a couple of schools but really took off in 2005 with new energy and momentum when teacher Susie Wooldridge joined us having run the scheme in her own school.

Through Susie we set up an excellent partnership with the British Red Cross, who were brave enough to trust us when we began and provided our training for all the schools - we're delighted that that commitment continues into 2008.

Together John and Susie went to UnLtd and they came up with the funds to run a pilot in six schools in London during 2006. After the success of the pilot we asked those who had taken part to help us write the future strategy of the scheme. Over £2,000 was raised and Mark Astarita, Director of Fundraising for the British Red Cross made presentations to all the schools involved at an excellent Celebration evening when all schools told us of the fun they had had.

Since then we have gone from strength to strength. With £10,000 from UnLtd, a grant of £20,000 from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and £10,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation we have been able to employ Jamie Dear as our project manager. We ran with 13 schools in London, Belfast, West Midlands and Wiltshire last year, and are working with 30 schools this year. We are delighted to welcome RSPCA and Age Concern London as two of our new partner charities, in addition to the British Red Cross. We are looking forward to even greater success during 2008.