Derry Credit Union - Youth Committee Award winner

Tina MacHugh - Winner

Tina MacHugh is the Waypoint project coordinator for Youthlife. The BBC Children in Need Waypoint project focuses on the peer mentoring aspect of Youthlife's work, outreach and alternative therapies.

Youthlife offers counselling and support to children and young people who have been affected by bereavement, separation and loss. Young people who have been through the service can avail of peer mentoring support to help them reach their mental health and confidence goals.

Tina guides mentors through their OCN level 2 qualifications in Peer Mentoring, with additional training opportunities such safeguarding, first aid, mental health first aid, suicide awareness training and more.

Tina is responsible for matching young people and mentors considering the individual's age, life experiences and character to promote the best outcomes.

She also identifies groups of young people with shared experiences; for example, 5 children of primary school age who had lost parents enjoyed equine (with horses) therapy together.

And 6 young people who identify as LGBTQ meet together for workshops and confidence building to support their specific mental health needs.

Beyond her project Tina has supported the establishment of Youthlife's Youth Advisory board. The organisation prides itself on being Youth-lead and with Tina's support this is now policy, with the young people feeding directly into board and strategy decisions.

Members of the Derry Credit Union Youth Committee with President Colm McCauley, front row centre, and staff members Owen McGeehan, far left, Sinead Bell, middle row centre, and Mary Crumley, far right.

Tina's passion for promoting good mental health has taken her into numerous schools and youth clubs; she offers support in time of life and school transitions; promoting self-awareness, self-improvement and confidence she shares skills and techniques to ensure peers can identify, understand and offer support as they face life's challenges.

For these many reasons, the Derry Credit Union Youth Committee chose Tina MacHugh as the winner of the 2023 Youth Committee Award.