JILL DANDO NEWS: Inspiring 1 Million Young Reporters Like Oliver, Olivia, Elijah, and Ellise to Share Good News Worldwide
By Jill Dando News
Jill Dando News is on a visionary bold mission to inspire and empower one million young reporters like Oliver, Elijah, Olivia and Ellise - trailblazing young journalists spreading good news and uplifting their communities.
This extraordinary project began in Jill Dando’s former school Worle School in 2017 but traces its roots to a spark of encouragement a few years earlier from none other than Sir Richard Branson.
In a 2013 video sent to students at Priory School in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset - Jill Dando’s hometown - Branson encouraged them to keeping thinking differently, keep believing and to go for their dreams.
His powerful words planted the seeds for the first school newsroom, a small venture sparked by Priory School teenage student Alex Crowther, then 13, that has since grown into a global movement, carrying forward the legacy of the beloved broadcaster and TV journalist Jill Dando.
Liz Davis, who attended Worle School in Weston-super-Mare with BBC TV legend Jill Dando as a classmate is now Head of Jill Dando News.
Liz was at Priory School years earlier when Sir Richard sent the video and was involved from then and instrumental in launching the world vision project out of Worle School in 2017.
She said: “This project is world changing! We have trained up hundreds of Jill Dando News reporters as young as 8 and up to 18 years old.
“It gives them confidence, aspiration, self-esteem and incredible real-life interview and TV reporting experience that young people do not normally get. Just like Oliver who is trailblazing in so many ways.
“We want to see this project go global and for Jill’s memory to stay alive through millions of good news stories in every nation of the world.”
A New Generation of Changemakers
Oliver, now 14, is one of the brightest stars of Jill Dando News. A student at Worle School, Jill’s former school, a mile away from Priory, Oliver first gained recognition at just 11 years old for his outstanding journalism.
His dedication and skill earned him the Jill Dando Reporter of the Year award, and he has now become The Good News Post’s first teenage Parliamentary Correspondent.
Among his most notable achievements is interviewing the Speaker of the House of Commons, cementing his role as a leader among young reporters.
Elijah, now 14, began his journey at just 9 years old when he interviewed then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson - twice in two months and seen by hundreds of thousands of people. His curiosity, confidence, and passion for good news have inspired countless others to follow in his footsteps.
Meanwhile, Olivia, now 19 and studying medicine at Bristol University, started with Jill Dando News at 12 years old at Worle School. Over the years, she has reported for BBC TV and ITV, proving that the skills and confidence nurtured by the project can open doors to incredible opportunities.
And Ellise, 22, is their first ever Disabilities Editor, finding stories worldwide of inspirational people overcoming challenges.
A Global Vision for Good News
From its humble beginnings, Jill Dando News has grown hugely. The initiative has reached schools in the UK and beyond, including Africa, spreading its message of positivity and possibility. The vision is as ambitious as it is inspiring: to create one million young reporters who tell stories of kindness, compassion, and optimism - stories often overlooked in today’s world.
The project, inspired by Jill Dando’s own commitment to honest and compassionate journalism, is about much more than reporting. It is about nurturing leaders, storytellers, and changemakers who will carry forward her spirit of optimism, kindness, and resilience.
A Legacy of Encouragement
Sir Richard’s words to the students at Priory School continue to resonate as the foundation of what has become a global force for good.
As Jill Dando News continues to grow, every Oliver, Elijah, Olivia and Ellise who steps into a newsroom brings the project closer to its goal of empowering one million young people to make the world a better, brighter place.
Join the Movement
To support this initiative or sponsor a Jill Dando Newsroom in a school near you, contact news@goodnewspost.co.uk.
For more uplifting stories, visit The Good News Post.
