Digital Christmas card highlights loneliness

The young people were taking part in the ‘Mind Hack’ project, run by The Bytes Project and funded by Derry City and Strabane District Council PCSP.

The Bytes Project is a community youth work organisation, with over 25 years of experience working with young people across the North.

It engages with young people on a wide range of projects covering good relations, resilience building, formal qualifications and tech literacy.

The group made a digital Christmas card to highlight the issue of loneliness among older people, especially during the festive period.

‘Mind Hack’ participants created the storyboard for the video with older people, before going on to produce and feature in the short, but powerful, visual message about loneliness.

A spokesperson for the project said the young people “hope to illustrate what an impact loneliness can have on older people, especially during the holiday period, when families would traditionally gather.

“This is the story of many citizens in Derry and it is a credit to the young people that they have found a platform to highlight this issue.

“Not only that, but they have seen the difference that a centre such as Older People North West makes in providing activities and opportunities for socialising.”

The short film was launched at Malvern House earlier this month. To view it visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crc7Rg14l5M