A MUSSELBURGH teenager won the Achievement of the Year accolade at the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) Awards.

Erin Campbell, 17, Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, has supported young people’s mental health through her ‘Keep in Mind’ campaign.

In a ‘virtual’ ceremony amidst the Covid-19 lockdown last week, Suki Wan, former SYP chairperson, announced Erin as the award winner.

There may not have been a fancy meal or a live band but MSYPs were encouraged to #StaySmilingInside by dressing up or down in their pyjamas, and make a mocktail for the occasion from the safety of their homes.

Suki said the successful campaign ‘Keep in Mind’ was mentioned in the House of Commons.

She added that Erin’s grassroots activism demonstrated “the power of young people and extraordinary influence of an individual MSYP”.

Erin, who lives in the Pinkie area and is a sixth-year pupil at Musselburgh Grammar School, has been working on ‘Keep in Mind’ since July 2019.

It began with a video which asked young people to share “one thing they wish people knew when they spoke about mental health”.

Said Erin: “I feel so honoured to have been chosen to receive this award amongst a group of very talented, dedicated and hard-working MSYPS.

"Winning SYP’s Achievement of the Year award has proven that young people are truly at the forefront of the mental health movement.

"It has given me hope that one day young people will be able to talk openly about their mental health without fear, judgement or stigma stopping them.

“But, of course, the award has not changed the aim of the campaign and we still have a long way to go before young people with a mental illness are treated equally, but this is a huge step forward in that journey.”

Erin is also a member of the East Lothian Youth Council, which meets every few months to discuss issues affecting young people in the county. Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating Erin on the award.

He highlighted their campaign to promote healthy conversations about mental health which could be found through Twitter on @KeepInMindCam.

He also praised the “positive work” they have done in the area of poverty and reducing the use of single-use plastics through SYP’s ‘Pack it up, Pack it in’ campaign.

Mr Beattie commented: “I am pleased to congratulate Erin on winning this award as I am aware of the hard work that they do in their role as MSYP in my constituency and know that it is well deserved.

“I have met with Erin to discuss their local work and I was very impressed with their efforts to raise the issues that are important to local young people. Erin’s ‘Keep in Mind’ campaign focuses on helping people to talk about their mental health and it is an excellent and innovative way of helping many young people locally, and across Scotland. I am aware of Erin’s work in other areas such as tackling period poverty and protecting the environment through reducing plastic waste. Erin is an asset to the constituency and I am sure that we will see more of them in Scottish politics in the years to come.”

The SYP is the democratic voice of Scotland’s young people.

Its goal is to ensure young people grow up loved, safe and respected, and able to realise their full potential.

It seeks to provide a national platform for young people to discuss the issues that are important to them, and campaign for changes to the nation that they live in.

Independent from all political parties, the SYP delivers the policies that are most important to young people by working with stakeholders, groups and individuals.

 

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