The delivery of a proactive mental health programme working with young people across Aberdeen City and Shire, has received a vital boost with the support of two local firms.
Aberdeen FC Community Trust’s (AFCCT) MINDSET programme – which promotes positive adolescent mental health – has received three-year funding to recruit a full time Development Officer, from equipment and service provider First Integrated Solutions, and leading provider of food & catering consumables to the UK energy industry, Strachans Ltd.
The support from both First Integrated Solutions and Strachans, has allowed AFCCT to appoint a dedicated team member to deliver the proactive and preventative programme in primary and secondary schools. Having first joined the Trust as a volunteer in 2014 and moving onto sessional part time employment in the summer of the following year, Murray Collie took up his new post within the MINDSET programme at the beginning of September. Most recently, Murray worked as Education and Community Officer at St Machar Academy for AFCCT.
Murray Collie (AFCCT), Iain Troup (Strachans Ltd), Martin Suttie (First Integrated Solutions), Liz Bowie (AFCCT Chief Executive)
AFCCT Chief Executive Liz Bowie said “We are delighted to have the support of First Integrated Solutions and Strachans. Both companies immediately understood the impact of this innovative programme which supports positive adolescent mental wellbeing. By providing long term funding, we have been able to create a role that will help to develop and deliver to more people in the years ahead. We are extremely grateful for this inspirational support.”
Developed in partnership with U.S based not-for-profit organisation Grassroot Soccer, MINDSET is a programme that places less emphasis on mental health disorders and more on life skills, promoting positive mental well-being and helping increase young people’s knowledge of empathy and resilience.
Strachans Ltd Commercial Director Iain Troup said “When we first heard of the positive impact that the MINDSET programme had on adolescent mental health, it was an easy decision for Strachans to support the appointment of a full-time development officer. We are committed to supporting AFCCT and Murray in providing important resilience skills for the young people in the North-east of Scotland.”
Over the course of the 2022/2023 Academic Year, over 1,000 pupils completed MINDSET across 10 schools within the city and shire. Involving 316 academy pupils and 713 primary pupils, the programme breaks down the stigmas around mental health, ultimately making it easier for young people to speak openly.
“We at First Integrated Solutions are delighted to support such a worthwhile cause, noted Martin Suttie, Managing Director. As a business we have the methodology of investing for our future and thinking longer term and the MINDSET programme echoes that perfectly. We need to help our young people to see a brighter future and we are determined to help and be an important part of that, especially in Aberdeen.”
To find out more about how you can support AFCCT, please contact info@afcct.org