Young people from Tayside will be taken to beauty spots across Scotland in a bid to support their mental wellbeing through art and outdoor activity.
Dundee-based youth mental health charity Feeling Strong has been given funding to take 15 young people on trips to coastal locations to help them discover their love for the outdoors.
Once there, they will be encouraged to create artwork celebrating the locations.
The Making Waves initiative, funded by Nature Scot, will end with a showcase in Dundee early next year.
Conor McConville, Feeling Strong’s recovery and support coordinator, said: “We want young people to rediscover their love for their natural environment and feel empowered through finding their own artistic voice.
“It’s important now more than ever for people to create art that shows their own point of view and express their unique experiences.”
The group will visit local coasts and attractions, as well as venturing further afield to Dunnottar Castle and Loch Lomond. The artwork can be in any form chosen by the participants.
Feeling Strong has seen a surge in requests for support with more people feeling isolated during lockdown.
The number of people accessing and downloading self-help mental health guides from websites during the coronavirus pandemic has tripled.
New figures released yesterday revealed Police Scotland has also seen an increase in the number of calls relating to mental health.
Between March and June, police were called to 582 incidents relating to mental health in Tayside, up from 517 during the same period last year.
There were 333 similar calls in Fife, up from 279 last year.
Conservative MSP Brian Whittle MSP, shadow minister for public health and mental health, said: “We already know that the pandemic and the lockdown measures put in place to stop the spread of the virus have been challenging for people’s mental health.
“Many of us will have been dealing with greater feelings of anxiety, depression or isolation and, unfortunately, in some cases this could lead to an incident involving police officers.
“Any rise in mental health-related incidents is a cause for concern and shows the importance of supporting the NHS and third sector organisations who provide help to those in need.”
