Beth Munro started the 'Politics in Education' society after noticing that many young people feel disconnected from politics.

A group of Sussex students have won £1,000 in a nationwide competition to help support their work with local young people.

Politics in Education (PIE) is a student-led volunteer group who run workshops in local schools and youth centres. The aim of the project is to engage young people in politics through fun activities and group discussions.  

Sussex graduate Beth Munro, who studied International Development and French, started the project last year after noticing how disconnected from politics many of her friends felt.

“I feel like politics is always seen as something boring and for old people - it’s often written about in confusing ways. We want to break it down and show young people that politics is for everyone and we can all engage with it in our own way”, explains Beth.

Alongside their work with King’s Academy Ringmer, PIE have also given workshops at Brighton Youth Centre, a local charity that offers events, activities and support for young people.

The money was awarded by Aviva Community Fund, a nationwide scheme which encourages members of the public to vote for community projects to receive funding. Politics in Education (PIE) was one of the first projects to reach 1,000 votes from a list of over 20,000.

“Thank you so much to everyone who voted. It's an incredible feeling to know that we have community support and that people think that political education is important” says Beth.

“We are extremely grateful for the support and excited to continue equipping young people with the skills and knowledge they need to make change happen.”

The additional funding will go towards covering volunteer expenses, workbooks and other resources, and the group hope to extend the project to more schools and youth groups.