Former Dyce student giving city’s ASN pupils a leg up

Neve McPherson's charity is about giving Aberdeen pupils every chance to succeed.

By Garrett Stell

April 4 2023, 5:00 pm

Hanover Street Primary School is one of the latest to benefit from the partnership with Neve McPherson and her Lifestars charity. Image: Neve McPherson.

Neve McPherson founded Lifestars to replace a much-loved programme at her school, and now she’s helping young people across Aberdeen get the most out of their education.

Former Dyce Academy student Neve started Lifestars in 2018.

Since then, she has been teaching children, primarily those with additional support needs, to develop five key life skills – teamwork, trust, leadership, pride and confidence – through active learning projects.

Her goal is to connect pupils with opportunities that they might otherwise not have access to, or can’t afford. Through the Lifestars charity Neve is able to connect them to new possibilities.

If there’s no one else, do it yourself

Neve created Lifestars after a much-loved programme at Dyce Academy folded.

“Sky Sports ran a Living for Sport programme, which helped children take part in sporting activities that they wouldn’t have had the chance to do before.

“I was a senior leader in the project. But they pulled the funding from it and it no longer existed at the school.”

So Neve took up the mantle and raised money to reinstate the programme. She planned to just give the money to Dyce and then walk away.

Neve McPherson started Lifestars to fill a void left when a Sky Sports programme ended at her school. Image: Lifestars

But her teacher convinced her to go a step further.

“She said, ‘If you’re that passionate about it you could really do something with your passion.

“So I took the idea that Sky Sports had had for running a lunchtime club and came up with a skills programme with my additional support needs teacher at the school.”

All in the family

With help from her Dad, William, Neve has grown Lifestars from that original programme at Dyce to a partnership across multiple schools in the city.

William said he jumped to help when Neve approached him about Lifestars.

“For many years I have been delighted to help any local charities in any way and being able to do it in conjunction with my own daughter was the perfect scenario.

“I have a great belief in life about how lucky many of us are and giving back is something we should all do but many don’t follow that regime.

“Personally, I would encourage any family considering projects like Lifestars to get involved and truly make a difference. Enhancing a life when its young will help change its path forever.”

The most rewarding part of the job

Neve has developed strong relationships with Hanover Street and Mile End Primary Schools through Lifestars projects. Some of her projects focus on active learning, and giving ASN pupils access to the outdoors.

Neve McPherson with a drawing of her made by a grateful pupil at Hanover Street Primary School. Image: Neve McPherson

“Last year we did a trip for Mile End children with a range of needs. A day of rock climbing, archery, things they never thought they’d be able to do.

“That for me is the most rewarding part, being able to deliver things like that for children who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to. ”

Her next project will send 40 pupils from Hanover Street to Perthshire this June.

“A lot of the pupils are Afghan or Ukrainian refugees, whose parents just wouldn’t be able to fund this for them.”

Learning to lead

The original Lifestars programme focuses on Neve’s five key life skills: communication, trust, leadership, pride and confidence.

She is hoping to build her network this year and get more schools on board. Neve said she’s hoping new partnerships with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) can help Lifestars get back to its roots of instilling key life skills when she teams up with new schools.

“It’s actually what Lifestars was originally set up to do but it seems to have now taken a completely different route. Which has been really great, but I’d like to see it come back to what I envisioned in the beginning.

“We’re giving kids a good time, with fun activities, while making sure they’re being educated at the same time.

“Because that’s really the aim: To make sure children, who might not have had the opportunity to develop in the ways I did, have a good start towards their careers.”