Advent Calendar App
1560. Leo Turnbull
Leo Turnbull, aged 13, from Newcastle, is a young coder who created a free advent calendar app with new graphics and games to open everyday in December.
Leo’s app aims to be more accessible than expensive individual advent calendars, while also being more sustainable and encouraging healthier lifestyles, particularly by supporting users to develop positive mental health. He has also created a feature on the app to allow users to donate to mental health charity ‘MIND’.
In a personal letter to Leo, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I was amazed to hear of how you have reimagined the advent calendar, turning a chocolate a day into a donation a day for a good cause.
“With your free games and graphics every day, it is a brilliantly innovative way to cut waste and calories. Having been downloaded over a thousand times, it is also raising vital funds for the mental health charity ‘Mind’.”
Leo said:
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard I was being given this award. It’s an amazing surprise that I never expected. Designing my app took several months but I was really determined to get it finished on time and start raising money for Mind – I think that helping people with mental health issues is so important, especially right now. It’s made me keen to design more apps and hopefully do more fundraising in the future.”
Pictured below: graphics from Leo’s app
