We Want To Say A Massive Thank You To The People's Postcode Trust!
Last year, we were incredibly grateful to receive funding from The People's Postcode Trust!
As our funding comes to an end, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Trust for its support which has been SO important in the delivery our work to support young people, families, and schools in Devon. Our work was made possible thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Over the last year, 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 1116 parents and carers enrolled.
In Totnes, we have delivered two in-person Parent Support Groups for parents of primary and 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 project was independently monitored and evaluated by Exeter University’s Department of Psychology. 89% of parents found the sessions “very helpful” and 98% of parents felt “very comfortable and supported.” Parents from the support groups said:
“This group has been an amazing support to me as a parent and has helped so much to support my daughter through a difficult time.”
“The sessions have been a lifeline for me at the right time.”
“The team leaders are all encouraging, supportive and so positive. They have great examples of their experiences which help with my own child.”
Following the success of these groups, we have scaled this project to deliver support via Zoom to new cohorts of parents in Torbay in 2024. We were lucky enough to secure funding from NHS Devon to promote and advertise our Zoom Parent Support Programme and refer parents/carers onto the group. This enabled us to build our connections with schools, GPs, VCSEs, and NHS supplies across Torbay who share our free support resources with parents/carers supporting a young person struggling with mental health. We partnered with Torquay United Community Sports Trust to deliver assemblies to build mental health resilience with schools in Torbay. Read more about our assemblies in Torbay by clicking here.
Earlier this year, we took over a Facebook Support Group for parents of young people struggling with self-harm. This free online community currently has over 2500 members and provides peer support and signposting to families supporting a young person struggling with their mental health.
Since March 2023, we have delivered 34 assemblies and 36 workshops with schools in Devon and Cornwall to build mental health resilience and self-esteem in young people. Our work in schools has benefitted approximately 9580 children and young people. Our assemblies and workshops: (1) improved mental health resilience and self-esteem in young people; (2) destigmatised mental health, making it easier for young people to ask for help; (3) educated young people to accept, respect and celebrate their differences and dreams; (4) increased awareness, acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, etc.). We received some amazing feedback from schools:
"This workshop helped the children's mental health, especially in the lead up to SAT's, by helping children to understand that they all have their own unique genius. The children have a better understanding of what they are good at and how this can be used in the wider world. The children related to celebrities mentioned and now even though they're rich they show kindness to others. This inspired children to show their own act of kindness." - St. Josephs Catholic Primary School
"Amazing workshop that the children absolutely loved. Really cleverly put together to ensure everyone was involved and excited by it. The children all learnt valuable lessons during a small amount of time which they can apply to lots of different situations. Loved the game breaks to ensure focus and teamwork. Would 100% recommend to other classes and schools." - "Furzeham Primary School"
"The assembly was inspirational and motivated the children. The children were able to empathise with Jade and the mention of celebrities and their struggles with mental health was a real eye-opener for the children, that this affects everybody. I would recommend this assembly to other schools." - North Tawton Community Primary School
Here at the Youth Mental Health Foundation, we envision a world where young people have mental health resilience, and every parent has the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support a child in crisis. Funding from the People's Postcode Trust has MASSIVELY helped us to achieve this goal, by building mental health resilience in young people, and helping parents/carers better support a young person struggling with mental health. Thank you!
To learn more about how to support a child or teen struggling with mental health, CLICK HERE for the Horizon Plan, our free online course.
The Youth Mental Health Foundation CIC is a non-profit organisation that helps build mental health resilience in young people, and helps parents and schools to better support a young person struggling with mental health. Find out more by CLICKING HERE.
