The Highland Youth Parliament (HYP) has launched a new campaign to coincide with Mental Health Awareness week (10-16 May). HYP aims to deliver a high-profile campaign each year and has consulted with young people from across the Highlands to identify a key issue affecting them.
Young people overwhelmingly supported a campaign to raise awareness of Mental Health concerns and called for improved support for young people.
The ‘MIND US’ campaign aims ‘To empower Highland’s young people to take action to improve access to Mental Health support at a critical time during recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
This will be done by:
- Consulting with Highland’s young people to carry out an audit of current Mental Health service provision and identify needs at a local level,
- Working collaboratively with The Highland Council Psychological Service and other partners to produce a new Mental Health strategy,
- Working with the Education Service to build a creative approach to the Personal and Social Education curriculum in order to meet the Mental Health needs of pupils,
- Calling for regional and national agencies to contribute to a Mental Health resource ‘hub’ and ensure that this is widely promoted to allow access for all Highland’s young people.
HYP will work on these priority objectives throughout the coming year, building up to a high-profile Mental Health themed conference to be held in Autumn 2021.
Highland Youth Parliament Chair, Innes Morgan said, “I am delighted to be witnessing the development of a young person-led mental health campaign for the Highlands. Young people have time and time again raised their profound concerns about the mental health crisis; a crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Youth Parliament we exist to voice these concerns and we exist to bring about positive change – a value we are staying true to. This campaign is about so much more than raising awareness – it’s about enfranchising young people to work with partner organisations like The Highland Council to devise innovative solutions and encourage them to continue being strong advocates and staunch, stalwarts for the cause.”
Anja Johnston, the Highland Youth Convener added “As Youth Convener, I am delighted to see Highland Youth Parliament launch their Mental Health Campaign, ‘Mind Us’. Mental Health is currently a hot topic with many organisations and people across the Highlands working in partnership to ensure young people better understand and feel supported with their mental health. I am looking forward to working alongside the HYP Executive and other organisations to spearhead positive change within the Highlands.”
