Barnsley young people's mental health group OASIS has been shortlisted for Innovator of the Year in the national Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards.

The award recognises children and young people who have taken the lead in planning, organising and delivering projects with a goal to help organisations, such as schools, to promote positive mental health and inspire hope in children and young people.

Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissions the charity Chilypep to support young people to influence local mental health and wellbeing services.

The young commissioners branded themselves ‘OASIS,’ which stands for Opening up Awareness & Support and Influencing Services and they have received training in commissioning and how to influence change.

OASIS has developed a mental health first aid kit, which was launched in Barnsley this year for World Mental Health Day. This innovative idea has been developed by the young commissioners themselves and is a really powerful tool that will help other young people to find ways of tackling mental ill health. The first aid kit is a part of the #Notjustme campaign that has been designed to combat stigma surrounding mental health in young people.

Chantelle Parke, lead project worker at OASIS said: “We are incredibly pleased to have been nominated for the Innovator Award at the Positive Practice Awards. The shortlisting is a credit to the hardworking, passionate and creative young people in the OASIS group and their commitment to finding new and exciting ways to end the stigma surrounding mental health and improve services for young people. The launch of the Mental Health First Aid Kit this year, which was designed and promoted by Chilypep and OASIS, was a huge success and we look forward to seeing how it will be taken forward by schools, colleges and mental health services in future.”

Patrick Otway, mental health commissioner Barnsley CCG said: ”This is a real credit to the young people involved in OASIS. Speaking up and getting involved isn’t always easy and they have really done themselves proud this year.”

The Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards winners will be announced Saturday 6 January 2018.