Young people in Badenoch and Strathspey will be able to access more mental health and wellbeing support in their own communities, thanks to a £106,500 grant from NHS Highland Charity.
The Building Community Spaces project, developed by Dr Nick Barnes from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), in collaboration with organisations from across the locality, will support young people aged 12 to 18 through local, community-based activities designed to help them get support earlier, before worries or challenges become harder to manage.
The project has been shaped by conversations with young people, families and local partners. They highlighted the need for more mental health support in schools, more youth work opportunities and better support for neurodivergent young people.
Working with schools, health services and third-sector partners, the project will use local green spaces, outdoor learning, creative activities and connections within the community to help young people feel more confident, less isolated and better supported. A dedicated community Green Health Link Worker will bring partners together, support activities and help young people find the right local support at the right time.
Over the two-year programme, up to 144 young people are expected to take part in wellbeing activities designed with young people and families. The project will begin with pupils from Kingussie High School before expanding across the wider Badenoch and Strathspey area.
Duncan Clark, Clinical Director of NHS Highland CAMHS, welcomed the grant award: “We are delighted that NHS Highland Charity has chosen to support this important project. Young people in Badenoch and Strathspey have told us they want support that feels accessible, welcoming and connected to their communities. By working alongside schools, families, local partners and young people themselves, we can create more opportunities for connection, resilience and wellbeing, helping young people access support before challenges become crises.”
The project is backed by local partners across education, public health and community organisations, who share a commitment to supporting young people’s mental health in the area.
David Clyne, Cairngorms National Park Authority, said: “This funding is a welcome boost to our Cairngorms 2030 public health work, allowing us to build on our existing nature prescription work in Badenoch and Strathspey and extend its reach to young people. Support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has helped lay the foundations for this approach, and this new investment from NHS Highland Charity will help us take it further. By strengthening links between green health, local activities and community support, we can help more young people benefit from the natural environment around them.”
Joanne McCoy, Trustee of NHS Highland Charity said: “The Trustees of NHS Highland Charity are delighted to support a project shaped by the voices and experiences of local young people and communities. Investing in mental health and wellbeing at an early stage can make a significant difference, and this project offers a positive, practical way to help young people build confidence, resilience and meaningful connections. We look forward to seeing the difference it makes for families across Badenoch and Strathspey over the next two years.”
The project builds on NHS Highland Charity's wider support for children and young people's mental health, including the ongoing Innovation Challenge project in Inverness and Lochaber which has recently been shortlisted for a prestigious award by the Royal College of Psychiatrists . By bringing together health services, schools, community organisations and local green spaces, Building Community Spaces will test a practical, community-led approach that could help shape future support for young people across the Highlands.