Lingo Flamingo Wins Challenge Us! Award

That the Parliament congratulates Lingo Flamingo, of the Glasgow Cathcart constituency, on winning one of the inaugural Open Societal Challenges Challenge Us! research awards from The Open University; commends the other finalists for their research proposals; recognises what it sees as the pivotal role of Lingo Flamingo in making language learning accessible to older adults and people living with dementia, both in care settings and in the community; notes the long-term partnership between Lingo Flamingo and The Open University in Scotland; further notes that, since 2015, they have taught approximately 5,000 students in 8,000 classes across Scotland, from Shetland to Stranraer, with the materials designed with people living with dementia to make the classes as accessible and inclusive as possible; understands the potential of language learning as a non-medical intervention to delay neurodegenerative diseases such as dementias, and to increase the wellbeing of older learners and help them overcome depression, isolation and marginalisation; further understands that the research project, being delivered in partnership with academics from The Open University in Scotland, aims to investigate the impact of language learning interventions on older learners, with a view to tackling inequalities among what it sees as an often-marginalised population, widening participation for them, and promoting healthy ageing, and wishes Lingo Flamingo and all the other finalists all the very best for their research and in the future.