Mental health services for young people in Arran have seen “amazing” improvements in the two years since they received more than £45,000 from North Ayrshire Council's coffers.

Arran Youth Foundations (AYF) received £45,226 from the Community Investment Fund in 2020 after applying to the authority in a joint application with Arran High School’s parent council.

The organisation aims to enhance mental health and well-being services for young people in crisis and since receiving funding has been able to offer annual retreats, weekly art therapy sessions, and decreased waiting times for counselling.

Graeme Johnston, AYF's youth work project manager, said: “When someone is in crisis, they can often wait months, so what we can do now - and do quickly - is huge to some of the young people.

“One thing we can offer thanks to the funding is one-to-one art therapy sessions for young people who are struggling. It has been amazing that we can offer this.

"They come to us to talk about things like depression, exam stress, LGBT issues, anxiety, grief and leaving school.

"The vast majority of young people who get one-to-one sessions say it has been a great help.”

The popular art sessions have run in the organisation’s hub in the youth cabins behind the high school in Lamlash since 2016 and are led by art psychotherapist Shona Redmayne.

In each session, young people can tackle problems they have surrounding a variety of topics such as depression, exam stress, LGBT issues, anxiety, grief, and leaving school.

With the retreats beginning in summer 2021, last summer AYF took young people to the Arran Outdoor Centre in Lamlash and to Largs.

AYF has also created a pocket guide to mental health and wellbeing with help from the funding and have set up a running club and girls' football club.