The first ever national guidance for professionals giving advice and support to young people on healthy relationships and consent has been published. It means that whenever a young person seeks advice – whether from a teacher, a health professional or a youth worker – they should receive consistent, age-appropriate information. Continue reading New national resource to aid support for young people
Business leaders across Scotland are being asked to play a leading role in supporting the country’s young people by each donating £1,000 which will allow them to unlock their potential, develop new skills and ultimately transform their lives. Continue reading Scottish businesses urged to help transform 100 young lives
Thanks to Jubilo for supporting PYCP and inviting us along to help raise money and providing refreshments to the Choral Classics These Things Shall Be at St Cuthbert’s Church on Lothian Road this Saturday 4th May (writes Pilton Youth & Children’s Project’s Debbie McMillan).
Jubilo Choir have supported us throughout the year with their events and have raised over £2000 for our children and young people at Pilton Youth & Children’s Project.
Thank you to Muriel for meeting us at St Cuthberts and helping us plan our trip to the church; also a big thank you to all the team at St Cuthberts for making room for all our refreshments on the night.
We hope you have a fantastic evening and I wish I could have been there on the night.
Debbie
With exam season upon us, students have been urged to swap a diet of quick, cheap eats for nutritious meals to boost brain power when hitting the books. Continue reading Brain-boosting snacks for students
Epilepsy Scotland has been awarded a £6,403 grant from the Scottish Children’s Lottery to support its work with young people with epilepsy in Edinburgh. Continue reading Epilepsy Youth Project supported by Scottish Children’s Lottery
Young Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic children who care for ill or disabled relatives are more likely than other young carers to be isolated from support services, a new report by Barnardo’s has revealed.
Continue reading Young BAME carers struggle to get right support, Barnardo’s reveals
MYDG’s new programme released
SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) has launched a new campaign ‘Testing Times’ to raise awareness about anxieties around school exam time and ways to de-stress. Continue reading SAMH launches Testing Times to aid exam students
On Friday 5 April a group of ten students from primary and high schools across Edinburgh got together to celebrate the end of another successful Art Therapy programme with People Know How. Continue reading Positive Transitions: art’s the way to do it
New steps to support young people’s mental health.
Steps to improve the mental health of young people, and directly target the impact of social media and body image on mental wellbeing, are to be supported through a new package of measures.
This includes £90,000 of funding to produce advice on the healthy use of social media and screen time, which will be created in partnership with young people.
In addition, a review of evidence on the effects of screen use on sleep and the implications of this for mental health will be commissioned.
The announcement follows the publication of new research from the Scottish Government which identifies social media, sleep disruption, body image and school pressures as potential factors in the reported worsening of mental wellbeing among adolescent girls in Scotland (see report below).
Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey returned to her former school, Trinity High School in Rutherglen, to meet with pupils and discuss the research.
Ms Haughey said: “We know that many young people in Scotland, particularly girls, are unsatisfied with their physical appearance, and that high levels of social media use may be detrimental to mental wellbeing. We also know that adolescent girls in Scotland report higher levels of social media use than boys.
“Social media does have the potential to be used in a hugely positive way, but we want to ensure young people are properly informed on how social media promotes unrealistic expectations.
“During Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week we announced that we will be producing advice, specific to Scotland, on the healthy use of social media and screen time. We are now committing £90,000 to carry out this work as part of a package of measures to give young people the support they need. We want all young people to be able to grow up in a modern Scotland with good mental wellbeing.”
Exploring the reported worsening of mental wellbeing among adolescent girls in Scotland report:
