I'm hiking the coastline of the Isle of Arran to raise money for North Berwick Youth Project.

The Arran Coastal Way is a challenging, rugged long distance route running for 109km. Realistically it’s done across 6 or 7 days but I’m going to walk the 67 mile route in just 4 days as a challenge to raise funds for North Berwick Youth Project who support young people from the age of 11+ to realise their full potential. I hope we can also raise awareness of NBYP and what they do, as well as the importance of early intervention to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing. 

NBYP is a charity and solely funded through fundraising. To run the service for just one year costs well over £100,000, which can be a challenge to raise through funding grants alone. Donations raised can have a huge impact. Donations are unrestricted funds and give the project freedom to be able to identify, react and implement supports quickly to ensure intervention work is able to start as soon as possible.

NBYP works with young people from all backgrounds. Work can also be targeted to reach those who are most disadvantaged and vulnerable. The project works carefully with partners to create the most enriching experiences for young people, as well as delivering the most appropriate support, taking and making referrals where appropriate. 

- The number of children and young people experiencing mental health problems has increased significantly over recent years, exacerbated by the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing financial hardship. Children and young people are facing a growing mental health crisis, and the work of local organisations such as NBYP is vital to ensure that young people are able to access the right support.   

-1 in 5 experience significant issues with learning due to underlying cognitive differences, such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, DCD, Dyscalculia, OCD, Tourette’s Syndrome and more. 

-Those with neurodivergent conditions are more at risk of having mental illnesses or poor wellbeing. This is often due to a lack of support, and the stress of 'masking' — acting neurotypically in order to avoid negativity.  

- Approximately one-quarter of children in Scotland live in poverty, which can cause poorer physical and mental health, impacting their education and access to other rights.  

- 10,201 children and young people were referred to CAMHS (Children and Young People's Mental Health Services) in Scotland for quarter ending December 2022. This is an increase of 19.4% (8544) compared to the previous quarter and 1.8% (10,021) for the same quarter ending December 2021.  

- The Scottish Government has again - missed its own target of 90% of CAMHS patients being seen within 18 weeks.  

Thank you to individuals, local businesses and organisations that continue to support NBYP. Please do donate if you are in a position to but also very aware that it is a very difficult time financially for many, so if you cannot afford, please just share to spread awareness instead <3