Worle to the World - in an age of angst, why Jill Dando News is thriving
By Jill Dando News
In a desperate age of anxiety and fear of the future, Jill Dando News is a timely positive initiative, writes The Editor
It is perfect for this bad news era with rocketing mental health in all age brackets.
Jill Dando News is the sort of project Jill would have now set up herself if she had lived to become the most inspirational TV personality of all time, yet kind, humble and brilliant.
The goal is simply to train up positive minds and young journalists aged 8 to 18 in Jill’s culture. They become the news team to ’post’ positive stories out to the world. It boosts literacy, aspiration and mental wellbeing to boot!
Editor, Good News Post
Boosting Minds, Positive Journalism, Literacy, Aspiration and Mental Wellbeing
The a b c goal is simply to:
A) Train up positive minds and young journalists aged 8 to 18 in Jill’s style and culture.
B) They become the news team to ’Post’ positive stories out of the world, to the world.
C) Boost literacy, aspiration and mental wellbeing to boot!
America, Australia, Asia and Africa
America, Australia, Asia, and Jill’s personal love of Africa would have all been perfect platforms for her smile, warmth and love of positive journalism.
Her home town of Worle and Weston-super-Mare were all lucky to encounter Jill in person and through the local newspaper, the Weston Mercury.
Then she became ‘The Smiling Face of Britain’ to millions via BBC TV.
She had wrestled with the idea of being a missionary in Africa before cheering up the nation via news journalism.
The wonderful truth is - there is far more good news out there than bad - please read that sentence again. This is what we teach our young reporters.
Editor, Good News Post
That’s the culture now in Jill Dando News. Taking what people experienced in Worle to the World.
Indeed, our team have now launched a Jill Dando News Centre 7000 miles away in Malawi which will expand post the pandemic.
This really is Worle to the World.
More Good News than Bad
The wonderful truth is - there is far more good news out there than bad. Please read that sentence again. And again. Let it sink in. This is what we teach our young reporters before unleashing them to go out, find it and post good news. Every day.
Sadly people are just not hearing about all the millions of good news stories locally, nationally and globally. The world and its people are bombarded by bad news on all sides.
So our children aged 8 to 18 are enthusiastically cheering people up in her honour, memory and legacy, one positive story at a time...
They find the stories in person in their schools and communities, and wider via Google and more, and ‘post’ it up to the Good News Post.
Alive and Expanding
Jill Dando News started in Jill’s old school Worle Community School Academy, in The Priory Learning Trust, in 2017. The seeds of the project was started by students at Priory Community School Academy, a mile away in students in 2011 with a video from Sir Richard Branson and starting to do positive news stories.
Its aim was for reporters such as Olivia, 13 and Archie, 11, to ‘post’ out positive stories to the wider Media who were only covering the bad.
Now the project is expanding all the time with new student reporters learning about Jill’s life and legacy.
Reporters are being trained up by Nigel Dando and other professional news journalists across the UK from BBC, ITV and Sky News for example.
Jill Dando News is alive and expanding.
Doing a ‘Good News Post’
This online newspaper, the Good News Post was created as a place where students could do a ‘good news post’ of their articles.
Now with well over 1000 stories, it is covering real-life news in Jill’s home town, the UK and globally.
The first reporters, Olivia and Archie are now 18 are 16, and are about to launch the first ever Jill Dando News sixth form centre in the New Year.
Making The Planet a Better Place One Story At A Time
Jill and her life, character and fantastic positive attitude will never be forgotten, thanks to the growing numbers of students who are making the planet a better place in her memory.
Jill’s character of kindness, positivity and humility – all demonstrated by Jill throughout her life - should be the prevailing culture of people on the planet.
Together, we can make this happen.
Our reporters and newspaper aims to make the world a better place, one positive thought and story at a time. It could not be at a better time.
