Donaldson’s school wins prestigious award for aiding young people

Nov 5 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

DONALDSON’S school in Linlithgow has won a prestigious Herald Society Award for an equalities initiative.

The school picked up the award for its work in helping young deaf adults to develop life skills which enable them to be active citizens.

The award recognises the role Donaldson’s plays in helping young deaf adults, who can often feel marginalised, gain access to information, services, employment, training and further education.

The Transition Project, which has been helped with funding from the Scottish Government, Lloyds TSB, and the MacRobert Trust, provides advice, encouragement and practical help in taking pupils from the supportive bilingual environment of Donaldson’s through to living an active life as a young adult.

Central to the work of the Transition Project is a Youth Committee, comprising pupils and former pupils, which provides additional inspiration and support.

Speaking about the award, Janice MacNeill, principal of Donaldson’s said: “Many young deaf adults feel marginalised and unable to access many services which the rest of us take for granted.

“The Transition Project has been superb in enabling more of our young people to find employment, education and just know how to cope in the world beyond Donaldson’s and other schools.

“We are thrilled with this recognition of the hard work put in by the superb Transition coordinator, Billy Docherty, over the last year.”

With over 92 young people signed up for a programme of workshops, residential weekends and seminars, the Transition Project has been not only popular, but also successful.

Outcomes have included: 54 young deaf people attending training courses; 20 into full-time further education; 27 work placements; 18 into paid part-time work; and 12 into full-time work.

Judges of the award included Kathleen Marshall, former children’s commissioner; Fiona Taylor, assistant chief constable, Strathclyde Police; and Keir Bloomer, independent education consultant,,