Exeter City Express & Echo--Exeter, Devon, England--January 25th, 2002

A CITY school has become the first in Britain to launch a pioneering scheme aimed at encouraging teenagers to help improve their local community.

Youngsters at Priory High School have adopted the Pay it Forward initiative, which has already become hugely sucessful in the United States.

The idea comes from a novel which was recently made into a major Hollywood movie starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt.

Author Catherine Ryan Hyde first raised the theory which is based on doing favours for others.

The concept was created in her best-selling book and has been applied in schools -and communities throughout America, with hugely successful results.

A Pay It Forward Foundation has been created offering grants to participating schools.

Bryce Wilby, head of Year Eight at Priory School first came across the concept on the internet.

The teacher was so impressed, he decided to incorporate Pay It Forward into the school's curriculum.

He said it is an excellent idea, promoting respect and responsibility.

"I loved the book and e-mailed the author to ask if we could do this in our school.

She put me in touch with the Pay It Forward Foundation which helped a lot of American schools take it on as part of their citizenship ethos.

Now we are looking for ways in which we can put this into practice in Priory and our surrounding community"

The Pay It Forward idea emerged from the novel when the book's protagonist, 12-year-old Trevor, is asked by his class teacher to devise a plan that would change the world into a better place.

Trevor comes up with the idea that one person should do a favour for three people and each of the recipients would then do favours for others.

Mr. Wilby said he is confident that Pay It Forward will succeed and he has embarked on his own personal Pay It Forward scheme - he has given away his car and computer free to strangers.

Mandi Street, Priory's newly appointed headteacher, who described the scheme as a sort of "altruistic pyramid selling", said: "Pay It Forward encourages that ethos of respect and taking responsibility for yourself and others and reminds us all that our community does not stop at the school gates".

She said it complemented the school's new "vision statement" which emphasised personal respect and responsibility

Mrs. Street said this week marks the official launch of Pay It Forward at Priory.

The school has decided it will try and raise awareness of the scheme in the hope that it will be adopted by more schools and communities across Britain.