Senior pupils embarked on Alternative Projects this week to draw a close to the 2019-2020 session. The outcomes were similar to those experienced on a typical projects week. These included developing teamwork, resilience, creativity, communication and leadership skills through activities based around outdoor, creative, life skills and charity options. 

Mrs Watson shared: “On Charities Day many pupils have spent time either planning a fundraiser for a charity of their choice or on fundraising for Mental Health Aberdeen. Fundraisers have included kayaking across Rubislaw quarry, running and cycling long distances, litter picks and playing the piano online for the length of a school day, amongst others. We are immensely proud of our pupils’ achievements raising a phenomenal amount in 24 hours. The combined total of all charity events and fundraising pages generated by pupils is currently sitting at over £8100!”

“We are delighted with the level of engagement and imagination we have seen from our senior pupils throughout their Alternative Projects week. In their formal reflections on these projects many have talked about learning new skills and finding the confidence to push themselves to try out different activities.”

Graeme Kinghorn, Trustee/Director, Mental Health Aberdeen (MHA) commented: "We are extremely grateful to the Robert Gordon’s College community including the Robert Gordon’s College Parents Association, for the incredible variety and sheer number of individual fundraising events that have taken place. It would be unfair to single out any individual effort, but it was a tremendous example of how the RGC community has adapted to the current pandemic, kept events going and in this case even enhanced the outcome using teamwork, technology and hopefully everyone had fun in the process.     

"It is completely appropriate that the funds raised by the students should go to support the Aberdeen Youth Counselling and Information Service (ACIS Youth), which has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This service delivers in the region of 9,500 individual youth counselling sessions a year, primarily in Aberdeen city, and the funds will allow the service to employ additional counselling resource to deal with the very real demand created by factors relating directly to COVID-19.  Plans are currently being made to resume as soon as possible, on a phased basis, one to one face to face counselling at the Charity's Hub in central Aberdeen."