THOUGHTFUL teenagers have given a local dementia charity a major cash boost.

A team of pupils from Inverclyde Academy won an in-house competition as part of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) and the £3,000 they scooped will now help the Inverclyde branch of Alzheimer Scotland.

Fourth year pupils Anissa McKay, Nicola McBride, Zara Robertson and Zoe McEachran, masterminded the win.

As part of the project they visited the charity and also carried out in-depth research into dementia before doing a presentation in front of the school and a panel of judges.

They also created a special sensory top which is designed to promote a sense of calm and relaxation for people suffering from the condition.

Anissa said: "We all have a connection as we have at least one family member who has suffered from dementia, so it's close to our hearts."

Nicola added: "We all have different experiences with it and it's something we can all relate to.

"We focused on how we can help people suffering from dementia."

Amy McLaughlan, community fundraiser for Alzheimer Scotland in Inverclyde, is very grateful for the £3,000 donation.

She said: "We are absolutely delighted to be considered for this project.

"The donation is a huge amount of money for us and will go a long way to help families who are affected.

"We provide a dementia adviser to support people who have dementia and their families.

"We also have community groups, including the football memories project and the Friday friendship group.

"Money like this lets us extend support like that."

Scott McHendry, who is a principal teacher at the school, described the pupils as a credit to the community.

He said: "We're really proud of them as they put their heart and soul into it.

"This shows that young people do good things for the community."