MindMate, a website providing mental health and emotional wellbeing advice and information to young people across Leeds, is launching a city-wide campervan tour to help raise awareness of the resources available to young people.
The 70s-style vehicle – also known as Dougal – will be visiting Kirkstall Festival (14 July), Asda Killingbeck (19 July) and Briggate (20 July), along with the MindMate Ambassadors, to engage with young people across the city.
Those that visit the van will have the opportunity to help the MindMate team design a public bench that will feature in St Johns shopping centre’s garden once completed.
There will also be other fun activities taking place at the van, including transferrable palm tattoos of the MindMate smiley face, Snapchat filters, Instagram frames, as well as the opportunity to talk to the team about the tools and resources available on the website.
Gage Oxley, MindMate Ambassador, said: “We’re really keen to keep raising the profile of MindMate in Leeds, especially among young males. The campervan is going to be a fun way of helping us chat to other young people, especially with the activities that are going to be taking place.
“The idea behind the temporary tattoos is to use the logo as a simple way for young people to show their support. We’re hoping that if people share photos of them wearing the tattoos it will help us spread the MindMate message even further. We’re looking forward to introducing Dougal to Leeds!”
Dr Jane Mischenko, Commissioning Lead for Children & Maternity Services at NHS Leeds CCG, said: “As well as raising awareness of MindMate in Leeds, we also want to create a lasting legacy through these activities. The public bench is going to give us a lasting feature in the city that will always remind people that MindMate is available. And not just for young people, but parents and guardians too.
“One of our biggest challenges is that young people often don’t feel confident talking about how they’re feeling. With the campervan tour we want to show that it’s okay to express how you’re feeling and there are resources out there to help you get the support you need, no matter how big or small the problem may be.”
The MindMate website – developed in conjunction with young people – offers support and useful resources for young people, their families, carers and the healthcare professionals who support them.
It was developed by NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as part of the ‘Future in Mind: Leeds’ strategy to improve the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people across the city.
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For more information please contact Laura Cavanagh or Chloë Matthbury on 0113 880 0444 or email mindmate@aberfield.com
About MindMate
MindMate is a dedicated mental health and emotional wellbeing website in Leeds for young people (age 12 – 25), parents and professionals who work with young people. To access the MindMate website please follow this link: https://www.mindmate.org.uk/