Two local teenagers from the Burnham-On-Sea area have given speeches on positivity and ambition in front of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and MPs during a visit to Westminster as part of their school’s Jill Dando News project.
Students Dawson and Charlie, both 17, and other budding young people from the Jill Dando project at Highbridge’s King Alfred School Academy and Sixth Form have impressed their latest patron inside Parliament’s state rooms.
The students travelled from their school to be hosted by Mr Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle in Westminster.
Dawson has previously interviewed Prime Minister Boris Johnson twice – once at his school and once inside Downing Street in 2019 aged 12.
Dawson, Charlie, Charlotte, Sasha, Isabelle, Skye, Zoe, Kira, Emily, Grace, Bella and Grace enjoyed a day of celebrations of the good news project.
After being hosted in the state room of Parliament they were interviewed by BBC national television teams outside Westminster.
During a reception, Dawson and Charlie each gave a speech on Jill Dando and her positive legacy in front of Mr Speaker, scores of Jill Dando News reporters and other special guests.
Dawson told a packed State Room about how Jill Dando News reporters follow in the footsteps of Jill with positivity while Charlie spoke of the ambition of Jill Dando and the Jill Dando News reporters.
Dawson said: “Jill Dando was relentlessly positive. In fact she was the smiling face of Britain.”
“Our Jill Dando News student journalists are passionate about spreading positivity in an increasingly negative world. This is the expanding legacy of Jill Dando.”
Charlie said: “Jill Dando was ambitious but in a kind, humble way. Our Jill Dando Journalists look to be ambitious in their chosen fields. This is the expanding legacy of Jill Dando.”
At the event, five other Jill Dando Journalists made speeches about Jill and her positivity, enthusiasm, authenticity, humility, kindness, empathy, and ambition to become the ‘smiling face of Britain’.
Mr Speaker, Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose and MP Alex Davies-Jones also made speeches. Lord Jeffrey Archer helped to sponsor the event.
Jill was 37 when she was killed on her doorstep on 26th April 1999 – but her legacy continues to shine brightly through the training of hundreds of young journalists.
The timely Jill Dando News was launched in 2017 and began in The King Alfred School Academy in 2018 and the Sixth Form in 2022.
Expanding ever since, it now benefits hundreds of children aged 7 to 18 in spreading good, ethical news across Somerset and as far reaching as Africa, a continent Jill had a big heart for.
Now Mr Speaker has become the latest patron of the project as more and more people remember the incredible life and expanding legacy of Jill.
Mr Speaker said: “I loved meeting the Jill Dando News reporters – their project of spreading positivity, good news and kindness is a vital message for our times.”
“I can still remember the utter shock we felt when that terrible news broke 25 years ago. However, even death could not extinguish that flame of positivity and kindness that the children are shining so brightly in memory of Jill.”
“She is living on – through their positive stories and brilliant kindness and character – one story at a time.”
“So, I want to say a big thank you to every single one of the hundreds of Jill Dando News journalists who have been through this fabulous project in Jill’s memory, since 2017.”
“They have done the memory – and legacy – of Jill Dando proud and are instilling a culture of character, kindness, positivity, resilience, respect, and honesty in this generation – and future generations.”
“So, a massive well done to you all.”
Wearing ‘Jill Dando News’ jackets and armed with pens and iPads, the children interview people from prime ministers to NASA astronauts.
It trains up real-life journalists and brilliant people of the future to find, write and post positive good news stories, with training by professional journalists including Nigel Dando, Fiona Bruce and others from BBC, ITV and Sky News.
The fast-expanding project has been backed by two Prime Ministers, Mr Speaker, Sir Richard Branson, Sir Cliff Richard and a host of other world figures in a world of bad news and rocketing mental health issues.
