Clacks and Stirling pupils win environmental awards

Lornshill Academy pupils have won an environmental award for expanding the school’s Pre-Loved Uniform Swap Shop.

Four pupils from the Clackmannanshire high school were awarded the 2025 Young Pathfinders Climate Competition trophy.

The Young Pathfinders programme is an educational outreach initiative led by Scotland’s International Environment Centre (SIEC) at the University of Stirling.

Pupils at high schools across Stirling and Clackmannanshire council areas were invited to identify an environmental challenge facing their school and come up with innovative solutions.

Lornshill Academy pupils Lexie Baillie, Ezmae Hill, Sophie McQuillian and Alex Stewart decided to expand their uniform swap scheme after they were inspired by a visit to the Stirling Reuse Hub, initiated through a Young Pathfinders event.

The school’s Pre-Loved Uniform Swap Shop will soon include jackets, bags, and shoes, and the pupils have also established a long-term partnership with Stirling Reuse Hub.

Sustainable solutions

SIEC manager Rebecca Pankhurst said: “The judges were impressed with the initiative shown by Lornshill Academy pupils, which not only promotes sustainability and circular fashion, but also strengthens community ties and tackles inequality - aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“Young Pathfinders is aimed at equipping the next generation with skills that will help them tackle the climate crisis. All of the pupils who participated this year showed an impressive level of understanding about local and global environmental problems, and the ways they can develop their own sustainable solutions.”

Councillor Scott Harrison, Clackmannanshire Council’s Spokesperson for Environment, Planning and Climate Change, said: “Well done all the young people who took part in this year’s programme, and congratulations to the young people from Lornshill Academy who have won the 2025 Young Pathfinders Climate Competition trophy.

“I am very pleased to see the initiative they have shown in developing creative ways to address the climate issues that our communities face, and doing so in a way which supports their fellow young people to continue their education feeling confident about their appearance.

“The Young Pathfinders programme is providing a great opportunity for our young people to develop their awareness of climate issues, encourage them to devise their own sustainable solutions to environmental problems, and give them useful skills as they take next steps into further and higher education and employment.”

This year, 31 pupils from seven schools participated in the Young Pathfinders initiative, which also sets an art challenge which encourages participants to create a piece of art that reflects an environmental concern or solution, using only upcycled materials.

The 2025 Young Pathfinders Sustainable Art Challenge award was won by pupils from Stirling High School – Gregor MacGregor, Logan Abel, Poppy McKnight and Bonnie Moffat – who created a kimono made entirely from upcycled materials, merging traditional Japanese aesthetics with a strong message of sustainability.

Stirling High School pupils (l-r) Logan Abel, Gregor MacGregor, Bonnie Moffat, Poppy McKnight

Stirling Council Leader, Councillor Gerry McGarvey said, said: “The Young Pathfinders programme enables our young people to develop a wide range of skills and experiences that will help them secure careers in a key sector of the economy.

“Congratulations to all the prize-winners from this year’s cohort, including Gregor, Logan, Poppy and Bonnie from Stirling High, for showing such creativity and innovation in this year’s Sustainable Art Challenge.

“By taking part in these types of activities, all the young participants from this year’s programme will be better equipped to address the complex climatic impacts faced by our communities and to seize the exciting opportunities as the region transitions to a thriving net zero economy.”

Educational outreach

The Young Pathfinders programme places an emphasis on developing employability skills, including teamwork, leadership, communication, and problem solving, with the Pathfinders applying and demonstrating these skills through a group project at the end of the programme. 

The initiative also offers pupils the opportunity to meet scientists at the University of Stirling’s laboratories, take part in a tree-planting initiative, and attend a careers fair.

The Young Pathfinders programme is an educational outreach initiative led by Scotland’s International Environment Centre (SIEC) at the University of Stirling. SIEC is funded by a major investment from the Scottish and UK Governments, delivered through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal.

Established as part of the City Region Deal, Scotland’s International Environment Centre is a pioneering collaboration that will create an innovation community in the Forth Valley, driving the creation of a net zero regional economy and acting as a global exemplar of low-carbon growth.

The Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal is a £90.2m investment from the UK Government and Scottish Government in innovation and infrastructure that will drive inclusive economic growth throughout the region.

Regional partners, including Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council, and the University of Stirling, will invest up to £123.8m, resulting in a Deal worth more than £214m.