PUPILS at Port Glasgow High School are to take part in a pioneering project making music with people who have dementia.

Young people at the school will go into the recording studio with a group from Alzheimer Scotland Inverclyde.

Together they will explore different types of music and fuse them together, thanks to a social enterprise project working towards bringing different generations together.

The aim of the initiative is to help forge a greater understanding of dementia and the impact that it has on sufferers and their loved ones.

First year pupil Sophie Naismith, 12, is hoping that she can help her gran by getting involved.

Sophie explained: “My nan has dementia and I am really looking forward to doing this.

“I want to find out more about it so that I can help her.

“I want to know how to speak to her and I can maybe get to connect with her again.

“I want to see the nan who used to pick me up from nursery when I was a little girl.”

Music teacher Julie Ballantyne, who is also the principal teacher for health and wellbeing, is thrilled that Port Glasgow High is leading the way in the innovative scheme.

She said: “This is a really exciting project and I am proud we are going to be a part of it.

“Port High is a great school with great pupils and our music students are so committed.

“Music is a way of triggering memories and comforting people with dementia and this is a real chance to create something.”

Inverclyde-based social enterprise outfit Access Technology Scotland, run by former music lecturers Cathel McGlashan and Paul Brookes, are leading the project.

Cathel said: “Nobody has done anything quite like this before. It is very exciting and we can’t wait to get started.”