How You Can Raise Free Donations Every Time You Shop Online: Support Youth Mental Health Foundation With EasyFundraising.

WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US 

Did you know that every time you shop online, you can raise donations for the Youth Mental Health Foundation at no extra cost?

Whether you’re doing your weekly food shop, booking a holiday, or buying someone special a Valentine’s Day gift, you can fundraise to support young people’s mental health.

All you need to do is create a free account with EasyFundraising. Every time you shop, brands will donate part of what you spend to a cause of your choice. The best part is - it won't cost you anything extra. The cost is covered by the brand.

To learn how to turn your online shopping into donations, watch our step-by-step video on how to use EasyFundraising. If you shop on your phone, EasyFundraising also has a free app.

Create your free account today and see how much you can raise to support young people and families struggling with mental health: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/youth-mental-health-foundation-cic

The Need For Our Work:

In 2022, children in mental health crisis spent more than 900,000 hours in Accident and Emergency units in England. 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience problems do not receive appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age. The suicide rate for Devon is statistically significantly higher than the rate for England, and is slightly higher than the rate for the South West (Devon County Council and Public Health Devon).

Our study into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on school children’s mental health in Devon has also revealed:

• A ‘significant number’ of pupils have had a ‘significant deterioration in mental health’
• A significant increase in pupil’s anxiety levels and worry about the future.
• A steep increase in behavioural issue in the classrooms and are seeing significantly more instances of our pupils struggling with transitions and changes in their day
• A significant reduction in pupil’s resilience to the stresses and pressures in their day-to-day schooling which manifest in behavioural and attention issues. 

Why donate to us?

The Youth Mental Health Foundation C.I.C. is a Devon-based not-for-profit organisation working with young people, families, and the wider community to address the crisis in youth mental health. We are addressing an urgent need for preventative education to build resilience in children, alongside early intervention strategies to prevent mental health challenges from escalating. We are directly supporting families whose young people are in crisis with their mental health, through in-person and online provision. We work with communities across Devon and have a growing national and international reach. The impact of our work is more resilient young people who are less likely to experience severe mental health challenges, and more families who are empowered and equipped to support their child’s recovery from mental health struggles.

Our organisation was founded, and is led, by parents who have lived experience of supporting their young people through significant mental health challenges. We are informed by the insight and personal experiences of young people themselves. The development of our organisation and activities is underpinned by a wealth of experience in our team of child mental health practitioners, advisory board and consultants. We have a strong track record of providing support and interventions for families in need. 

What will your donations support?

 Online Support - The Horizon Plan

We have provided support to thousands of parents via our free, online course ‘The Horizon Plan’, which teaches our clinical process to support young people struggling with mental health. The Horizon Plan is recommended by NHS trusts and NHS Recovery Colleges across the UK, including Devon Partnership NHS Trust, and currently has over 900 parents and carers enrolled. We have created the first two modules of the Horizon Plan, with the next three modules on the way: www.youthmentalhealthfoundation.org/onlinecourse 

School Assembly and Workshop Programme

We have partnered with over 100 schools and youth clubs in Devon to support the mental health of young people in our communities. Our hugely successful assemblies and workshops have been designed, developed and delivered by Jade Sutton, aged 19, who has lived experience of struggling with, and recovering from, significant mental health challenges. To date, Jade has spoken to over 35,000 young people with her powerful messages to destigmatize mental health, build self-esteem and mental health resilience:. www.youthmentalhealthfoundation.org/believe-in-yourself-school-assembly

 Parent Support Programmes

 Since September 2022, we have run a support group for parents of secondary school-age young people struggling with mental health, through fortnightly, in-person group sessions. These parents joined the programme at a point when their young person was facing severe mental health difficulties, with families feeling alone, unsupported, and experiencing lengthy waits for input from mental health services. This first in-person group has been extremely successful for individuals, their young people and wider families, by providing parents with support, skills, strategies and confidence to play a central role supporting their child’s recovery. We are scaling this project to deliver support via Zoom to new cohorts of parents in Devon in 2024.