We are so grateful for every pupil group who choses to find out more information about Mikeysline as part of the annual Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)

Why Choose Mikeysline for your YPI…

What is YPI

Youth Philanthropy Initiative or YPI for short is a small presentation that you and your group will put together to bid for £300 for Mikeysline. Using your confidence and creativity you will speak in front of a large audience representing Mikeysline, explaining what Mikeysline is, the services we offer and the benefits of £3000 in your school catchment area. If you win, we will then use the £3000 in your area with things such as kindness cupboards, reflection benches, or may fund a support worker in your school. There will be other groups competing for their own chosen charity at the same time. We’re so grateful for everyone who chooses our small grassroots charity. We can share a whole host of resources to you.

What is Mikeysline

Mikeysline was founded in 2015 following the tragic deaths of good friends, Martin Shaw and Michael Williamson within 48 hours of each other.

This heartbreaking loss of life only added to the growing number of suicides in the Highland area. Speaking to Martin and Michael’s peers at their wake, Ron Williamson, Mikey’s uncle, heard that young people felt that they had nowhere to go when they were at a loss when struggling with mental health issues.

So Ron, along with other key individuals, founded Mikeysline with the aim of changing this so that others might receive the help and support that Mikey needed. An aim that struck an immediate chord at the hearts of many.

Support for Mikeysline quickly gathered momentum and a grassroots charity was formed. A candlelit parade was an early indication of the level of support from those in the Highlands for everything that Mikeysline was being set up to achieve, but most of all to help prevent the tragic loss of further lives due to the lack of accessible support when it was most needed.

People can struggle daily with a multitude of mental health and emotional issues, which impact their life and health, yet only a fraction of people feel able to talk about it. At Mikeysline, our suicide prevention and mental health awareness work is at the core of what we do to break down the stigma associated with seeking support for emotional distress. That it is ok not to be ok and that no one should suffer in silence.

Mikeysline is working in 16 secondary schools providing early intervention to young people, we have Face-to-Face support centres across the Highlands and Moray and a digital text line that operates 365 Days a week. Mikeysline is a lifeline to many living in Highlands, Islands & Moray.

Our Bee The Change campaign challenges the stigma attached to mental health and endeavours to break down the barriers to normalising the conversation around mental health and suicide prevention, it’s about reiterating the message that #itsoknottobeok

Our extended thanks goes to those who have previously represented our small grassroots charity Mikeysline as part of their YPI.

If you’d like to represent Mikeysline and ‘bee’ in the chance of winning £3000 to help fund Mikeysline to do something in your area, please get in touch with us to arrange a visit to one of our hives. Contact details are at the bottom of this page.

We have also featured a presentation here from a few years ago from winners of YPI at Dingwall Academy. This was during the lockdown and prior to us having our new bee logo in place. It gives you an idea on what a good presentation looks like. The key to success is being creative!

If you have any material that you’ve used and would like shared, please email it to the address below: 

GOOD LUCK with your YPI journey! We look forward to keeping in touch with you.

Email – beethechange@mikeysline.co.uk

Post – Bee The Change Team, 4 Strothers Lane, Inverness, IV1 1LR

Or visit us on social media – https://linktr.ee/mikeysline