Students at Royal High School secured £3000 for the Forget Me Not dementia charity through their school’s involvement in the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI).

The S3 students shared a convincing and creative presentation which was reviewed by a panel of judges including Donald Drury from local funding partner abrdn.

The funds will be used towards the development of a sensory garden for those living with dementia. The charity is revitalising a disused area of ground at Lauriston Castle, creating the Memory Garden, and hopes to bring ‘relaxation’ and ‘interest’ to visitors. The funds secured by the students will support the second phase of the ambitious project.

James Edgar of the charity said:

“We were delighted that students from the Royal High School in Edinburgh had taken an interest in the Edinburgh Forget Me Not garden project. 

“The garden is intended as a memory and activity resource for people living with dementia, where they can come with family and carers to enjoy the environs and participate in some of the activities on offer. 

“It is currently under construction, and we were of course thrilled that the student group that represented the project went on to win first prize. This will enable us to move on with further phases of the garden’s development. The students took a keen interest in both the background of the garden project together with the wider issue of dementia and the effect it has on those living with the condition and those around them. 

“The trustees of the project heartily congratulate the efforts of the Royal High students and hope that they will stay involved.”

abrdn is the funding partner of YPI in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, committing £42,000 a year through the abrdn Charitable Foundation to empower young people as advocates in their communities. Donald Drury volunteered from abrdn to be part of the judging panel for the YPI Showcase. He said:

“It was fascinating to see the creativity across the entries. Young people had to adapt to digital and video submissions this year, and these remained very powerful tools to share their cases. Well done to all involved.

“The winning team really brought to their cause to life with their video package. abrdn is proud to partner in this fantastic opportunity.”

The other charities represented included Edinburgh Remakery, Canine Concern, Edinburgh Rape Crisis, and Rock Trust.

Through a unique programme of teamwork, research, and competition, young people become advocates for social issues in their community. One team from each of the 250 participating schools secures a £3000 grant for a charity of their choice. YPI is a programme of The Wood Foundation and has engaged more than 230,000 young people.

Lucia Giuntoli, YPI Partnerships Manager, said:

“We would like to thank abrdn for its continued, invaluable support. Their commitment to empowering young people as change makers, responsible for devolved grant making in their communities, is vitally important.”