A series of free to attend drop-in sessions to help young people living with mental health challenges reach their best potential have been launched in Thatcham by a local charity.
Response will operate weekly groups aimed at parents, young people aged 16 upwards who are not in education, employment and training and those looking to build connections from its new wellbeing hub on Church Lane.
The sessions have been structured in response to record demand for youth services delivered at the hub, which opened in October and already has a waiting list exceeding one year for those looking to access one-to-one services.
It also comes after the Department for Work and Pensions found more than one million young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training (NEET), making up 13.5 per cent of all young people in the UK.
The same report concluded six in 10 NEETs have never had a job – in 2005 the same statistic was four in 10 – with mid and lower-skilled vacancies dropping by 1.6 million in the last two decades.
Jamie Douglas, Associate Director of Response Youth, said: “Demand for our mental health support services amongst young people has never been greater in our 60-year history.
“A combination of major global events, economic and employment instability, social media misuse and lack of early intervention provisions have contributed to a nationwide mental health crisis.
“It’s why services delivered at our Wellbeing Hub in Thatcham are so critical.
“The hub acts as a direct pressure valve for NHS funded mental health provisions, yet it is operating with a one-year waiting list within a year of opening which provides a strong indicator to the scale of the problem locally.
“Demand for our new drop-in sessions is clear to see, and we encourage people in Thatcham and the town’s surrounds to make full use of their delivery.”
Called REACH Your Potential, the free to attend sessions are aimed at young people aged 16 to 25 and will help them access wellbeing support as part of their next steps in life. The sessions will run every Thursday afternoon between 3pm and 5pm.
The group will act as an extension to the hub’s existing youth worker led sessions which provide preventative and open access support for young people with mental health needs.
Jamie added: “No pre-booking or referral is required to attend our drop-in sessions.
“We’re hopeful delivery will help to empower young people, create positive community connections and reduce the stigma attached to ill mental health locally.
“Early intervention for young people experiencing anxieties, friendship issues, low mood or worries around self-esteem is so important, which is why we’re especially pleased to launch these new sessions.”
Find further information about Response’s free to attend drop-in sessions delivered in partnership with SNG at its Wellbeing Hub in Thatcham at the link below.