PATIENT group Healthwatch Dorset has been given a £1,000 boost to support a project to give young people a stronger voice.

The money has come from AFC Bournemouth’s Cherries Community Fund and will support a creative project for children and young people, Be Yourself: Everybody Else is Taken.

The project encourages young people to talk about their lives, their health, wellbeing and emotions, in a creative way. Healthwatch Dorset has run workshops with schools, colleges, universities, young carers and community groups to discover the stresses young people feel and to help them open up about their problems.

The organisation is using the funding to carry out a summer tour displaying the young people's artwork, poetry, photography and blogs in hospitals, youth clubs, children’s centres and libraries across Dorset.

Louise Bate from Healthwatch Dorset said: "We are very proud to have the continuing support of our premier league football club. The Cherries funding will help us work with more young people and give them a stronger voice."

Steve Cuss, Head of Community at AFC Bournemouth said: “I’m delighted that the Cherries Community Fund enabled the Be Yourself Everybody Else is Taken project to happen. The project has been a huge success in getting young people to talk about their experiences with mental health, disability, caring for others and the struggles they face with identity in a creative way. Communication of these issues is incredibly important and I’m looking forward to continuing to support and work with Healthwatch Dorset on achieving this goal.”

A new parliamentary report Creative Health: the Arts for Health & Wellbeing demonstrates that the arts are a powerful and cost effective agent of improved health and wellbeing for children and young people. The national report recommends the NHS ensures that the arts are involved in the delivery of health and wellbeing services, to improve people's lives and save money both in health and social care.

Children as young as five have taken part in the Healthwatch Dorset project and their findings are being used by the NHS across Dorset to improve local children's services.

To find out more go to www.healthwatchdorset.co.uk