College date for volunteer

Champion volunteer Niamh is heading for California

A schoolgirl will keep her date with destiny this summer.

Niamh Cloughley is the only student from Scotland and just one of 120 from around the world to be accepted into the prestigious Young Americans College of the Performing Arts in California.

The head girl at Larbert High School and graduate of the Stenhouse School of Dance run by Irene Langlands, will join the 2017 New Kid Class in July as a volunteer.

For the next nine months after that she will develop her performing and teaching skills before joining the Young Americans for another nine months of touring the world staging performance workshops promoting child education through music and dance.

The 17-year-old, who lives with her parents, Fergus and Morag, and big brother, Connor, in South Broomage Avenue, Larbert, said: “I’m so pleased to have achieved my goal.

“I have always had a strong love for performing, teaching and helping the community and been passionate about volunteering.

“By being able to attend the YA College I will be able to grow and develop my performing and teaching skills, have the opportunity to work with many professionals in the performing arts industry and then go on tour to pass on my knowledge to the children at workshops across the world.”

Niamh is holding down four part-time jobs with Falkirk Community Trust and working hard on fundraising to have the £15,000 she will need to fulfill her dream. She has also set up a Go Fund me account, www.gofundme/ NiamhYAvolunteer.