SAVVY students have teamed up to create a business helping youngsters keep in contact with elderly family members during the pandemic.

The entrepreneurs, who all attend Colchester Royal Grammar School, have created Memory Lane.

The business sees them compile details of people’s lives and create a book as a permanent keepsake.

The Year 12 students were inspired after missing their grandparents having not been able to see them during the pandemic.

Max Hyde, one of 25 students behind the project, said: “The idea started in September.

“We didn’t see any chance of the pandemic going away any time soon and we hadn’t spoken to our grandparents as much as we would have liked to.

“Pandemic aside, a lot of young people have this generational gap problem with their grandparents where we don’t know a lot about their childhoods and their life.

“It can be difficult to raise this with them - you may be really interested, but just find it an awkward thing to ask.”

Max, 17, and the rest of the team devised the 13-week long solution where grandparents can reminisce about their younger years and store them in a permanent form for the family to keep.

Customers signed up receive weekly emails containing a form to fill out which contains a sentimental question, such as “what was your favourite song growing up?”.

The team have already sold 100 copies.

The book, which costs £20, comes in a hardback edition or can be completed as an e-book too, and has been a big operation for the students.

Max added: “Delegating roles is part of the programme, so we have an operations team, a marketing team and more.

“From our launch date on December 15 last year, we received more than 100 orders in the first few weeks.

“The average answer we receive is about 500 words, however, I kid you not, some answer with 10,000.

“People have really taken to it, one reviewer told how it has kept his ill father occupied as he loves to write down his stories to share with his grandsons.

“We are glad we can provide this heart-warming solution for everyone.”

Next up for the team is a charity quiz run by Julian Roper, of Corporate Quiz Hire.

Taking place on February 13, it will raise money for Colchester-based charity Age Concern.

On the future, Max added: “It’s definitely going well and, from our customer feedback, we are achieving all three of our goals – decreasing loneliness, preserving memories and tackling the inter-generational age gap.

“I don’t see why we can’t carry this on after the programme.”

n The Gazette wants to support and celebrate its independent businesses. To tell us about one which is rising above the challenges of the pandemic, email gazette.newsdesk@newsquest.co.uk.