Our third finalist in the Youth Volunteering Team of the Year category is Feeling Strong’s Operations Team. The main aims of the team at Feeling Strong are to improve the lives of young people in Dundee with mental health and wellbeing challenges. They do this by designing and delivering projects to promote recovery and positive mental health, as well as contributing to day-to-day operations.

Around half of the current projects at Feeling Strong were designed by volunteers from the operations team. Not only do they go into communities to deliver these, but they also help to secure the funding. This team provide an excellent contribution to their organisation by applying their individual skills in different areas – such as leading activities, carrying out research, developing digital content and campaigns, lobbying, organising events and social activities, and leading peer recovery. The success of such activities has been immense; they have developed social media campaigns and a peer-led mental health awareness programme – which have both been delivered to many pupils across Dundee and received praise on social media. The team’s digital lead has even led a team of students to develop an app to act as a resource and signpost to Dundee specific services. All of this is achieved whilst other members of the team recruit volunteers and work with the community to raise money for the charity.

Well done on all of your hard work Feeling Strong – we look forward to seeing you at the Youth Volunteering Awards 2019.