Gowrie Care’s Dundee Futures team walked away winners at the TPAS National Good Practice Awards on Friday.
Dundee Futures were announced winners in the best practice in equality and diversity category because of their work to improve the lives of people who have been affected by homelessness, social isolation or poverty.
The judges were particularly impressed with work carried out earlier this year to produce a short stop motion animation film and blog aimed at breaking down stigma surrounding mental health.
Fiona Holt, Dundee Futures sessional worker explained that “The 3 minute stop motion animation, The Ballad of Polly and Nelly, was produced by the team and three local people we were working with.
“The group combined personal stories and experiences to develop the film which takes a lighter look at the issues of mental health.”
“To produce the 3 minute film we had to create over 4000 individual frames by hand and completed the work over 9 weeks, working 4 hours each week. During this time we provided a safe and structured environment in which clients explored their own mental health, considered the wider context of mental health in society and how best to get their message across.”
George Meechan, who took part in the project and attended the awards ceremony on Friday, commented that “I feel great and more confident after completing the project. The Future’s team are all great people and the project made me feel like a real person who is part of something worthwhile.”
The primary driver behind the project was community engagement. Mental health can often leave people feeling isolated and unable to engage in their communities. The Dundee Futures team has tackled this issue head on in a creative and inclusive way by working with people who have had experience of poor mental health to undertake a unique and exciting film project.
Joy Dunlop, Gowrie Care managing director said “Congratulations to the excellent team at Dundee Futures and the people they’ve worked with on receiving this award.
“The Dundee Futures team is always engaging and inclusive in their approach to improving the circumstances of the people they work with. They strive for unique solutions to the problems people face and The Ballad of Nelly and Polly exemplifies this perfectly.”
Gowrie Care’s Dundee Futures team was presented with their award on Friday at an awards ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews. The film can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOF4xqjzwos