A group of S3 pupils from Montrose Academy has given older people in the local community the tools and skills to enter the digital world.
The pupils secured their school’s £3000 grant through the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) in 2022 for the Adam Centre.
The funds were used to buy a giant iPad for the service users. Two of the team members now volunteer weekly at the centre and support the users to make the most of the device.
Irene Mitchell from The Adam Centre said:
“We enjoyed engaging with the young people. The service users enjoyed taking part in the video and the young people were really interested to find out what we do and how we support older people in our community. Two of the group continue to volunteer every Friday afternoon and they really love interacting with the service users. If we have entertainment, they are usually the first people up to dance. The grant was spent on a giant interactive iPad which is enjoyed by all our service users and particularly the ones who have a dementia diagnosis.”
The pupils said the experience helped them talk to new people and boosted their confidence.
YPI in Angus and Dundee is supported by The Northwood Charitable Trust. Morag Neville, Head of Grants, said:
“YPI is a really powerful way for us to maximise the impact of our funds. We are supporting young people to gain confidence and become advocates while reaching lots of small, local charities.
“It is wonderful to hear the impact of the Montrose Academy’s pupils’ efforts and their continued engagement with the charity.”
Irene added:
“I would say to other charities engaging in the process to support the young people as much as possible, giving as much information as they can about their charity to the young people. YPI has resulted in our centre not only benefitting from a brand new interactive iPad but continued contact from the young people.”
YPI is in 280 secondary schools across Scotland, managed and majority funded by The Wood Foundation. It is an active citizenship programme which empowers young people to raise awareness of social issues and local charities in a bid to secure their school’s grant, promoting teamwork, creativity, and confidence.
