A north-east graphic designer is keeping youngsters entertained during lockdown by providing Doric learning resources, with all proceeds going to NHS Grampian.
Melissa Creighton, from Rothienorman, created the “Teach the Geets” activity pack as a means of giving back to frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The online resources can be downloaded in return for a £2 donation, which will go towards the NHS Grampian Endowment Fund.
The initiative has raised £349 since it first went live more than two weeks ago.
Melissa, who owns a Doric-themed business called Melabella Gifts, explained her inspiration for the idea.
The 28-year-old said: “I wanted to take my passion for the dialect and put it into something useful for kids which they could do at home with all the spare time they have on their hands now.
“I’ve got friends who have children and they’re struggling with home-schooling and they were looking for something a bit different to do.
“I mentioned to them I was considering creating the activity packs and asked them if it would be something they would be interested in and they thought it was a brilliant idea.
“I decided to pull together a pack and it snowballed from there.”
Keep up to date with the latest news with The Evening Express newsletter
Teach the Geets is divided into sections, teaching youngsters how to say words, colours, animals, numbers and parts of the body in Doric.
They are encouraged to learn each unit and test themselves on it afterwords. The pack is in black and white and kids are encouraged to colour in as they go along.
Melissa added: “I think the pack would probably suit children from age five or six upwards.
“It’s really basic but it’s just something fun to do. The feedback so far is that the kids are loving it.
“I included a poem by Les Wheeler about a nurse which I thought was quite appropriate given everything that is going on.
“At the end I’ve also added snap cards which kids can match up and hopefully it’ll add to the learning experience.”
Melissa explained why the Doric dialect resonates with people in the north-east.
She said: “I think everybody is really proud of Doric, and the reason I started my Doric business back in 2017 is that I didn’t think they were teaching it enough in schools.
“But now schools are doing their bit to bring it back and I think parents are keen to pass down the dialect to their kids so it carries on.
“I really just wanted to raise some money that I knew would go towards local causes and give back to the NHS for all their hard work.”
To find out more, or to access Teach the Geets, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/thankoornhs
Help support quality local journalism … become a digital subscriber to the Evening Express
For as little as £5.99 a month you can access all of our content, including Premium articles.
Subscribe