Hywel Dda University Health Board has announced that the Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team will be its Charity of the Year for 2014/15 following a staff vote.

Being named Charity of the Year will enable the Specialist CAMHS team to provide a therapeutic programme of social activities to their clients – Surf Tonic.

Surf Tonic is a surf therapy programme which will be offered to young people aged 0–18 who suffer with mental health problems. It will be delivered across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire to provide a regular intervention to children and young people using our coastline.

The team will train specialist staff to deliver the therapy in-house on a regular basis to ensure the widest possible reach for the programme and the best possible outcomes for clients. It will also offer clients access to an activity they can continue with during and following intervention.

Director of Strategic Partnerships, Sarah Jennings, said: “This is the first time that Hywel Dda Health Charities has given a team, department or service within the University Health Board the opportunity to become the Charity of the Year and I am delighted with the support we have received – almost 800 staff votes were cast.”

The Specialist CAMHS team will now receive the proceeds from a programme of annual fundraising events run by Hywel Dda Health Charities.

For more information about Hywel Dda Health Charities go to hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk