Since September 2022 Nil by Mouth have teamed up with young people in Lanark to celebrate community and explore the things that make us who we are and that form part of others identities.
Primary 7 pupils from Lanark & St Mary’s Primary Schools have come together to take part in a range of sporting, classroom and artistic activities aimed at helping them build new, and cement existing, friendships. Kicking off in September with a visit from NbM Director Dave Scott the classes explored identity and the role religion has played in shaping Scotland. Both classes read the Divided City novel which explores themes around faith and belonging as well as working with author Daniel Gray on his ‘Delights’ programme which encourages the children to write about the things they associate with home.
The project was rounded off by a brilliant visit from the Strathclyde Sirens netball team with one of the best defensive players in the British game Abby Tyrrell spending a morning coaching all the children in some of the key skills of the game and competing in teams drawn from across both schools.
Nil by Mouth Director Dave Scott said:
‘This project has been an absolute joy to be involved in from start to finish and the pupils got so much out of the special guests we were able to bring along. We always like our programmes to be as much about fun as about learning and the staff at both schools have told us just what a buzz the programme has given the children. We have been keen throughout to stress this is all about celebrating community and increasing understanding of the different cultures, faiths and traditions which exist here. We are also grateful to the Loaningdale School Company for providing the funding to bring Abby and Daniel along to work with the pupils as well as the staff at both schools who have done so much to make everyone feel welcome. The charity had also been able to work with pupils at Robert Owen and New Lanark primaries as well as holding special assemblies with S1 classes at Lanark Grammar and we will build on these relationships over the next 12 months and deepen our work in the Lanark area.’
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