Terry’s Cucumber Dinosaur Squad came together at Bright Futures with a shared goal: to make a real difference for young people in their community.
Before the project, the group completed a 12-week wellbeing course focused on emotions, brain development, self-confidence and resilience. When the course ended, the young people didn’t want their journey to stop there.
For their Stage 2 project, the group reflected on their experiences of mental health support. During discussions, they realised they shared similar barriers growing up – many of them had felt unsure about what support was available locally, how to access it, and where to turn for help. Sometimes, this meant support was delayed. Wanting to change that for other young people, they decided their project would focus on raising awareness of the mental health services available in South Tyneside for young people aged 11-25.
The group chose to host a community event at their local centre, inviting as many services as possible to attend and share information directly with young people and families. They contacted organisations across the area and worked hard to bring them together in one space. To make sure the event reached the right people, the group created a flyer and distributed it widely across schools, colleges and community settings, encouraging young people and families to come along.
On the day of the event, the group’s hard work paid off. They had 20 services attend, each with a stall showcasing their support, distributing flyers and answering questions. Many of the people who attended said they had no idea just how much support was available in their local community. Overall, around 100 community members benefitted from the project, with attendees describing the event as extremely helpful and informative.
For the young people involved, it was also a major step in their own confidence. Kacey shared that she herself hadn’t been fully aware of the support available in South Tyneside and found it beneficial during the research stage to identify these services. She also felt supported out of her comfort zone during the event itself, where she spoke to members of the public and services. Through being part of the group, she said it had “helped me be less isolated.”
The group could see the difference the experience was making in each other too. Charlotte said the group “helped me make new friends” and Lauren agreed, adding “I think I have become more confident speaking up.” Kate also spoke about her growth, saying that she gained “more confidence to talk to new people and try new things.”
After the event, the group didn’t stop there. They reflected on how they could reach even more young people – particularly those who might find attending an in-person event difficult.
From this, they came up with the idea of creating a directory booklet of services, providing key information and contact details so young people could access support whenever they needed it. They had 50 of these printed and distributed them across schools, colleges, GPs and community settings, making sure the information would reach as many people as possible.
The impact of this project has already gone beyond the event itself. Some of the young people involved were previously NEET, and since taking part in Bright Futures and the KEY+ Challenge, two of them are now in education and one in employment – this is a huge achievement and a powerful example of how youth-led opportunities can lead to lasting change.
Terry’s Cucumber Dinosaur Squad have shown just how much young people can achieve when they are trusted to lead. Through their dedication and creativity, they have helped strengthen their community, improved awareness of mental health support and created a lasting resource that will continue to benefit young people in South Tyneside long after the project ends.
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The Key