Foundation’s first support for a life-enhancing project

The locally-based Andrew Gidney Foundation has funded its first project that helps young people to live their lives to the full.

The Foundation has funded much-needed resources for the Young Person’s-centred project ‘Step into Nature’, spearheaded by The Outdoor Collaborative.

They will be using the money to buy several tablets, which will enable them to teach young people how to edit images and to become more familiar with digital media.

This is the first project the Foundation has been able to support and volunteers are delighted to offer this help.

The Outdoor Collaborative’s recent project "Step into Nature" is a dynamic initiative aimed at empowering disadvantaged young people by facilitating outdoor experiences and offering digital media training.

The project is taking place over a span of 12 months, commencing in January 2024, with activities scheduled throughout the year to accommodate the different seasons.

Outdoor excursions have been organized in various parks, including Heaton Park, Alexandra Park, and Tandle Hill Park, providing a broad spectrum of natural settings for the participants to explore and appreciate.

The choice of parks will allow them to introduce young people to diverse ecosystems and cultivate their love for the outdoors.

The Andrew Gidney Foundation is a charity that was set up two years ago by the bereaved friends and family of a 20-year-old creative scholar.

Andrew was a young man in his prime, heading towards a First-Class Computing Degree at Edge Hill University, when he suffered a depression that ended with him taking his own life.

He was a creative, intelligent and caring young man, much loved by many friends and family.

Ask anyone who knew him, and they will tell you of how kind and supportive he was.

His loss could possibly have been prevented with a decrease in stigma along with easier and more acceptable access to support.

The Foundation aims to do good for local youths in his name and support them to live their lives to the full.

They wish to benefit projects in the area he grew up in, Saddleworth, in particular projects that encourage creativity, computing skills and mental wellbeing in young people, as these were dear to Andrew’s heart.

If you are involved in such a project, please get in touch.

If you wish to help the Foundation with support, please donate via the donation page on the website.

The Andrew Gidney Foundation website home page can be found here

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