The final dissemination event for the Youth in Iceland Model project was held on 26 April 2021 via Zoom. A wide range of people were invited from across Scotland and the UK. The purpose of the event was to share project findings; to premiere the film made as part of the dissemination outputs; to hear about the comic output process, and to facilitate discussion about the next steps for the YiIM in Dundee, with Winning Scotland moving forward with Planet Youth surveys in five areas of Scotland, including Dundee, in September.
The film was particularly successful, and emotive. Many attendees commented on the link they felt with Dundee when they watched the film, the beautiful shots of Iceland, and the fascinating conversations between people involved with Planet Youth. The comic artist, Millie Strachan, also discussed her process of developing the comics for the project outputs. Again, many people commented on how powerful the comics were, and how they allowed a level of engagement with the project in a novel way.
Dr Peter McCulloch shared some findings from an associated research study regarding stakeholders’ views of the YiIM in Dundee/Scotland.
Grant Small and Sarah Anderson ended the event with a short presentation on ‘what’s next’ for the project, and the plans for piloting the survey across five areas of Scotland from September 2021.
The event facilitated discussion between people from different areas, with different types of expertise, and dialogue between attendees was excellent. The YiIM was viewed favourably overall, and there were a number of takeaway messages gathered through discussions in preparation for future implementation of the model. For example, it was noted that we should not be scared to say that what has been done in relation to prevention approaches has not worked, and there is a need for something different to manage the risk of substance-related harm.
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