“Hugh Davidson, Chair of the H & S Davidson Trust, gave a presentation on “The Tell Me Project”, at the request of the Institute of Philanthropy, to a group of 22 philanthropists, at the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, on 29th January 2009. Most, some from significant Foundations, were from USA and Canada, a few from the UK and Asian countries.
“The Tell Me Project” is a Freedom to Flourish initiative, funded jointly by AXA Isle of Man, and the H & S Davidson Trust, and operated by the Department of Education and Age Concern. Other Isle of Man Champions, such as Manx Telecom, Isle of Man Newspapers, Manx National Heritage, and Manx Radio have also played an important role in the Project.
The Project involves pupils from Manx schools interviewing older people about their memories, and uploading the stories online. Hundreds of interviews have been completed. All online interviews are archived, and the best 50 or so were included in “The Tell Me Project 2008″ book, published in late October last year, and now sold out.
The Project ensures that the interesting experiences of older people are recorded and remembered, and enhances the knowledge and life skills of pupils. Most importantly, it builds greater understanding between generations.
The philanthropists in the New York audience had not encountered anything similar to the Isle of Man project, and were very impressed by it. They felt it had international potential and appeal. Two of them are already considering running the project, or something similar, in Arizona and part of New York.
In providing a context for “The Tell Me Project”, Hugh gave a brief outline of the Isle of Man, its history and advantages. This also proved to be of great interest to the international audience.
“The Tell Me Project” is now in its second year. In 2010, it is planned to formally offer the Project to a larger country, probably Celtic or Scandinavian in culture, using the Isle of Man as a successful pilot model, and continuing to develop it further here”