Meet the first of our Bright Future finalists! Hear from Isabel and Kagiso
Get your popcorn ready as we press play on the first videos of our Bright Future Prize 23/24 Finalists Showcase!
Over the next four weeks, hear from each of the eight finalists of ACT's Bright Future Prize, an annual competition which searches for incredible young people with aspirations to make a difference to the world around them.
This year's finalists represent five countries. So, over the past month, we've travelled to Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal and South Africa to film them all so that they can tell you first-hand more about their passions and their bright ideas for community projects.
In March, our ACT Trustees will have the difficult task of choosing the winners, who will share the £40,000 prize fund to invest in their project ideas and make them a reality.
For now, get to know our first two finalists...Isabel from Co. Cork in Ireland and Kagiso from Phake in South Africa.
Championing gender equity in sport through technology
Isabel Connolly, Co. Cork, Ireland
Statistically, girls quit sports at one and a half times the rate that boys do, and by the age of 17, over half of girls take part in no sport.
This is where Isabel's innovative idea, 'HerSportHub', aims to make a difference. Through the dedicated app, which Isabel has used her own coding-prowess to design, she hopes to cultivate a network of girls passionate about sport and to connect them with clubs and groups in their area where they can access activities. In addition, the app will provide a hub to showcase women role models in sport and to share resources and events.
Inspiring young people to reach their goals
Kagiso Michael Kgatle, Phake, South Africa
Kagiso is incredibly enterprising, having earlier this year set up his own community development project called 'Kagiso Kgatle Foundation'. Through the foundation, Kagiso works to inspire young people in his community to develop their leadership skills and support them to reach their personal goals.
Already, he's worked closely with several schools in his local area to hold mini events and is currently establishing a board of young people to take the foundation even further.
Learn more and keep up to date
- Visit the Bright Future Prize page to learn more about the prize and discover the stories behind all our winners to date.
- Follow ACT on Instagram and Facebook to keep in the loop about all things Bright Future Prize and ACT! Find us @ardonaghCT or search 'Ardonagh Community Trust'.
