Launch the Mindful Digital Collective in Bridport

The Challenge

Children today are surrounded by technology, but many don’t yet have the skills to use it responsibly or recognise the real-world challenges it brings. They’re more connected than ever, yet increasingly anxious, distracted, and vulnerable to online harm.

Bullying, social pressure, scams, misinformation, and addictive technology design are affecting their wellbeing before they’re old enough to fully understand what’s happening.

While many schools do offer one-off sessions on online safety, the reality is that in a world that changes daily, that’s no longer enough. Without real-life context and consistent support, lessons about being online can feel abstract and disconnected with whats actually happening and children quickly switch off.

Teaching responsible technology use isn’t just about protecting children from harm. It’s about helping them think critically, make better choices, and feel empowered.

If we don’t equip the next generation with these skills, the risks will only grow and so will the gap between children, parents, and teachers trying to keep up.

The Mindful Digital Collective

That’s why we created The Mindful Digital Collective, an afterschool club that prepares 8–11 year olds to thrive in the digital world.

We run engaging sessions that:

• Teach digital citizenship through real-world challenges
• Encourage critical thinking, empathy, and self-awareness
• Help children make responsible online choices
• Empower parents to guide digital habits with confidence
• Support teachers through training and resources that ripple across the school

We’re constantly updating topics based on what’s happening in the real world to make sure every session or workshop resonates with the children.

Who might want to support this?

🙋🏻‍♀️ Parents of Year 6 children who want to give their child a strong foundation before they make the step into secondary school.

🧓🏻 Grandparents who are worried about the impact of phones, social media, and online life on their grandchildren and want to be part of something that helps them grow up wisely.

💁🏽‍♀️ Parents of younger children who want this kind of learning embedded in schools by the time their family and children needs it.

👩🏼‍🏫 Educators and school supporters who believe children need more real-world life skills alongside academic subjects.

🙌🏻 Anyone who cares about the next generation learning how to thrive not just survive in the digital world.

Who’s behind it?

I’m Nick, a dad of three living in Bridport with my wife Sarah and our children, Amelie (11), Evie (8), and Ellis (5).

We moved to the Bridport area as a family four years ago, and honestly, we’ve never looked back. The community welcomed us with open arms, and over time we’ve been lucky enough to build a brilliant network of friends.

Since then, I’ve got stuck into local life, whether that’s through the kids’ school or coaching a Bridport Youth football team. And the more time I’ve spent with young people, the more I’ve felt this growing sense of purpose to help make sure children in our community grow up with the right support around them online and offline.

That’s what led me to create The Mindful Digital Collective.

I’ve already run the club in four fantastic local schools: Bridport Primary, Symondsbury Primary, Salway Ash Primary, and Burton Bradstock and the response from children, parents, and teachers has been incredible

Now, with your help, I’d love to bring it to even more families.

What Schools and Parents Are Saying

Emma Roberts, Headteacher – Symondsbury Primary School

"I wanted to share how amazing the Mindful Digital Collective has been for Symondsbury Primary School. Nick’s workshops on digital mindfulness were a huge hit with our children. The sessions were fun, engaging, and really helped everyone understand how to use technology in a healthier way. The children really enjoyed Nick’s teaching style and hearing similar messages that they hear from teachers and parents reinforced their importance.

Nick was super knowledgeable and made sure the workshops were just right for our children. They covered important topics like managing screen time, staying safe online, and AI. The interactive activities and discussions kept everyone involved and made the learning experience enjoyable.

We're really grateful for everything Nick has done and can't wait to keep working with him. His dedication to promoting digital well-being and supporting educational initiatives is truly inspiring.

Thanks Nick!"

Parents

• "My child found the session on fake websites and AI Nick most useful as we had not really discussed this at home. Similarly, the session on digital footprints was very useful.  My child found the sessions fun and engaging which was a great way to engage them in such important issues."
• "Not pressing and clicking on notifications from unknown sources and knowing what might happen if they did click and it was a scam.  Learning how apps can ‘hook’ you and encourage you to stay online more. Awareness of time spent on phones, IPADs etc and importance of balancing with real life, exercise and fresh air!  Thank you for running this after-school club."
• "My child loved learning about the difference between fake and real on the internet. Learning about when and how people try to get money from you."
• "My child found it a fun way to learn and enjoyed Nick’s teaching style.  As a parent it is great for her to understand the psychology behind the games, algorithms and advertising.  Also, how to conduct yourself in online communication. Thankyou Nick, it has been really helpful and it’s good for her to hear this not just from us!"
• "We felt that this club was really useful and highly engaging. This really should be essential for every child – thank you for running it."
• "We were very impressed with the sessions and thank Nick for doing such an important job! It should be in every school – and for every child!"

Why we’re crowdfunding

We’ve piloted our club in four local schools and the feedback from children, teachers, and parents has been incredible. Now, we want to take the next step and set it up properly. We believe that every child should be taught digital citizenship consistently, not just once, but as an essential part of growing up today. Our mission is to make that happen, starting right here. With your support, we can build something that helps children feel confident, safe, and in control in their digital lives.

How we’ll spend the money

👷🏻‍♂️ Set Up:  Cover Our Core Costs

We need to set up The Mindful Digital Collective properly to ensure everything we do is safe, trusted, and sustainable. Core costs mean we can operate safely, professionally, and grow with confidence.

This includes:

• DBS checks for all facilitators
• Safeguarding training and certifications
• Public liability and professional insurance
• Basic admin setup (CIC registration, accounting, simple website and communications)
• Accountant & grant applications

📦 Deliver: Raise Money to Deliver Year 6 Workshops

We want to catch this year's Year 6 pupils before they leave primary school — at exactly the right moment, after their SATs but before the summer holidays.

Deliver fully funded 2-hour digital citizenship workshops in 10 local schools

Give Year 6s the real-world digital skills they need to move into secondary school with confidence and kindness

The workshops will be a gift to schools and families fully funded by the Crowdfunder backers.

🌱 Grow: Plan for a Sustainable 2025/26 Programme

Your support will help us secure further funding to design even more engaging sessions and workshops. It will also allow us to build a sustainable model by training new facilitators and volunteers, ensuring we can deliver the programme to even more children in 2025/26. We’ll also begin measuring the real impact your support is helping to create.

The Community Impact

We believe children should grow up confident, kind, and in control of their choices online. We want to nurture responsible digital citizens who understand the risks, but also know how to use technology thoughtfully and safely. At the same time, we know nothing can replace the power of real-world play, friendships, and experiences, and we want to encourage that wholeheartedly. Our aim is to support families to make the best decisions for themselves, while making sure children feel prepared and confident to handle challenges like harmful content, mental health struggles, or bullying online.

We help parents feel empowered not left behind. And we equip teachers with the training and resources to create lasting change across the school.

This isn’t just about protecting them from harm, it’s about preparing them to thrive and take control of the spaces they live in, rather than letting those spaces control them.