Isle Of Wight Youth Trust Seeks Mental Health Ambassadors

Do you want to make a difference to mental health services on the Isle of Wight?

Are you passionate about ensuring that the views of young people are heard, raise awareness of issues around mental health, work with other extraordinary young people or looking to improve your confidence? If so, the Isle of Wight Youth Trust needs your help.

The Isle of Wight Youth Trust is seeking young people, aged 12-24 to join the Youth Trust Mental Health Taskforce and make a difference to mental health on the Isle of Wight.

The award-winning Taskforce works together with the Youth Trust to raise awareness of youth mental health issues and develop their own projects.

The group also guides and advises the Youth Trust’s work, to ensure that the needs of young people are being met on the Isle of Wight.

Youth Trust Advocacy and Development Manager, Felicity Radak, said that Youth Trust is seeking young people, both who have direct experience of engaging with mental health services and others who have no personal experience.

She said:

“It’s important that we have a variety of experiences represented in the group, so that we can best understand and meet the needs of all young people on the Island."

Felicity further added:

“Our Taskforce meets monthly to help develop Youth Trust services, meet with Island decision makers and work on their own projects. We offer our Taskforce members training, ongoing support and the opportunity to get involved and have a say. We believe that our services should be led by the voices of young Islanders and our Taskforce plays a crucial role in making this a reality.

“The group’s accomplishments so far have far outweighed anything we could have imagined. They have helped to develop our new wellbeing service and The Hub shop unit from which it will operate, they co-designed our School’s Mental Health Charter and fed into the Island’s successful bid to host two educationally based Mental Health Support Teams. Our Taskforce has made a huge impact to the services available to young Islanders and we hope more young people will take up this opportunity to have their voice heard and make a difference.”

Current Taskforce member, Marie, said:

“Personally I've loved all my time in the taskforce, I've gotten to meet great people and work on things that are really close to my heart. The main thing for me was how incredibly kind and supportive everyone's been, even when we have combined the over and under 18s, we just immediately got on and everyone was just so nice and welcoming.

Jazz, a founding Taskforce member, added:

“Being a part of the Youth Trust taskforce has enabled me to rediscover my passion for mental health advocacy, has boosted my confidence and most importantly helped me find my voice to continue speaking up for change.”

Young people wishing to apply to join the Taskforce can complete a short online application at www.iowyouthtrust.co.uk/ambassadors before Thursday, 8th April.

Shortlisted applicants will be asked to take a short phone call during the week commencing Monday, 12th April Following these phone interviews, further shortlisted applicants invite applicants who are through to the next round to a recruitment evening, the dates for which will be discussed at the phone interview stage.