The 11-year-old Taylor Swift fan creating an army of elderly Swifties
Devon Dickinson was inspired by her 92-year-old great-grandmother
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Your support makes all the difference.An 11-year-old Taylor Swift fan has made hundreds of friendship bracelets to donate to people in care homes after making one for her 92-year-old great-grandmother.
Devon Dickinson, who is going to see Swift perform at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh as the star kicks off the UK leg of her The Eras Tour this week, said she hopes to inspire all generations of Swifties to get involved in the bracelet craze.
Inspired by a lyric in Swift’s song You’re On Your Own, Kid, fans worldwide have been making and trading friendship bracelets at every date so far on the 152-show tour as a way to make new friends.
Devon Dickinson, from Edinburgh, who is a P6 pupil at Buckstone Primary School, came up with the idea to distribute hand-made bracelets in care homes after seeing how happy her great-grandmother Margaret was with the one she gave to her.
She has spent more than 50 hours making the bracelets so far and has made 260, but plans to make more this week after school.
Devon said: “I am so excited to see Taylor when she comes to Edinburgh.
“I’ve loved Taylor for years and the show looks so amazing, but I’m also really excited to meet and trade bracelets with other Swifties at the concert and outside Murrayfield. It looks so fun and is going to be the best day.
“After I made the bracelet for my great-grandma, I realised that a lot of older people don’t have grandchildren or great-grandchildren to make nice things for them.
“The whole of Edinburgh is going to be buzzing that weekend and I wanted to make sure that everyone gets to be part of that excitement.”
She added: “It was fun to talk to great-grandma about Taylor and the tour, and I hope the people I give the bracelets to become Swifties too.
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“It doesn’t matter what age you are – anyone can be a Swiftie. Maybe they will trade the bracelets with each other and the staff at the homes, and make new friends. That would be amazing.”
Devon, who has tickets to the gig at Murrayfield Stadium on Sunday June 9, the last of Swift’s three-night run in Edinburgh, will visit four care homes in Edinburgh and the Lothians to hand out the bracelets and speak with residents.