Feeling Strong exists to make sure that every young person aged 8-26 in Dundee who has experienced a mental health or wellbeing challenge is supported to reach their full potential. We deliver projects, services and campaigns in the community to tackle stigma, build confidence, develop resources, create networks and most importantly support the positive recovery journey of our young people.

We have several groups and short-term projects on in our hub throughout the week; including our drop-in Cafe on Monday (18 - 26), our crafty "Stitch 'n' B*tch" (18 - 26) group and our supported studying group "Skill Up" (12 - 26) which are both on Wednesday and our Art Night group on Thursday (12 - 18). We also have our Peer Coaching & Listening service on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 19:00 where our trained Peer Listener offers support and guidance through active listening, signposting and referrals to other services; as well as helping set recovery goals and use tools to promote positive wellbeing - with no waiting lists. Young people can self refer to our services or a parent, guardian or trusted adult can refer them through the referral form on our website.

Our previous short-term projects include "Making Waves" where young people visited the lochs and waters of Scotland, learned how to keep these beautiful environments safe while visiting and created an art exhibition in response to their feelings and experiences of the trips. We have also had iterations of our "On Yer Bike!" project, supporting young people to benefit from cycling through trails in Dundee led by biking experts with support from Feeling Strong staff and volunteers.

Feeling Strong has supported many autistic young people over the years, especially those who struggle with school attendance or social inclusion. Our staff and volunteers are trained to be accommodating and to look out for signs that young people are struggling, making sure that everyone has their accessibility needs seen to and are safe and comfortable in our space. We have soft mood lighting in our rooms which can be used instead of "the big lights" and two "Listening rooms" where young people are welcome to use when they need a moment to themselves or to talk privately with a staff member. We have a range of fidget toys on offer, wellbeing activities and resources available to everyone in our hub.

The best example of how our services can positively impact autistic young people is the safe and inclusive drop-in cafe space. As with many services, our drop-in cafe can vary in business every week but generally has a strong group of regulars who attend every week and engage with our staff and volunteers - who are also attend every week, to build rapport with the young people and minimise the stress of not knowing who will be there or if there is a new person to meet. Several activities could be going on at the cafe at the same time, such as a group of young people sitting chatting with hot chocolate (a popular choice!) with craft activities at the table, a young person sat on the couch chatting with a volunteer 1-2-1 or young people and volunteers playing the Nintendo switch at the TV!

In a survey conducted about the Cafe this year, 100 of the respondents stated that coming to the Feeling Strong Cafe was a positive experience, and that they felt like they received the right support during their visits. The respondents also agreed that the Cafe is an environment where they can make positive relationships with other young people, and that they were able to learn about information and coping strategies towards their mental health.