Supporting young people on the path to better mental health
Monthly Update – November 2013
Since our Launch in September, it has been a Sidmouth, Exmouth and as far afield as very busy couple of months for The Project, so Chulmleigh. As word spreads about The Project, apologies for the lack of news coming from and as there are no other groups offering early our end since then. Here’s our latest news … intervention support to young people with mental health issues, people are prepared to travel to Project Launch access our service. However, ideally in the longer term, we would like to open groups to provide Our Launch in September far exceeded our support in other parts of Devon, as not all young expectations, with over 50 people stopping by to people have the means, or can afford to travel to talk to staff and volunteers over a cup of tea and Axminster to access our homemade cake, and to find out more about groups. what we are offering to young people with mental health issues, as well as their parents and carers. We held a successful Campfire Evening on 31st October, which brought both our age groups together for an evening of music and singing, bread twizzles and toasted marshmallows around the campfire up at Trill Farm http://trillfarm.co.uk/ It was fantastic to see our We welcomed The Mayor of Axminster, Cllr. young people forget their troubles for a while - Jeremy Walden to our launch, and were chatting, laughing and getting to know each entertained by the amazing Blackdown Samba other, with some bringing their guitars to band, who also put on a samba workshop, which entertain the group. saw visitors and volunteers trying their hand at drumming. If you would like to refer a young person to The Project, or would like to self refer, information and forms are available to download from our Young People Peer Support Sessions website. Both our support sessions, for 12-16s and 16-24s, have been up and running since mid September. Parents and Carers Group Since then, we have had a steady flow of referrals for both age groups, but particularly for our older The first meeting of our parents and carers group. We have a number of young people support group will be next TUESDAY 19TH NOVEMBER, 6.30-8.30pm at Home Farm Hotel, attending sessions, and we are already beginning to see them growing in confidence, both in their Wilmington, East Devon. http://www.homefarmhoteldevon.co.uk/ interactions with each other and in their willingness to take part in group activities. The group, which will meet on the third Tuesday We have received referrals from parents, GPs and of each month, is intended as a space for the parents and carers of young people with schools, plus a number of self referrals from young people. We have also had enquiries from emotional and mental health issues, to get together - to talk, share experiences and gain Inclusions Officers, Devon and Cornwall Police and Young Devon. support from meeting others who understand what it’s like to be supporting a child or young Young people are already coming to our sessions person who is struggling with mental illness. from across East Devon – Axminster, Honiton,
The Project is hosted by East Devon Volunteer Support Agency (EDVSA), Registered Charity No. 1134611 working in partnership with Devon Youth Service This is an open group to which all are welcome with or care for young people aged 11 - 18. and there is no charge for attending. Parents and http://www.mhfaengland.org/youth-mhfa/youth- carers from across East Devon, West Dorset, mhfa-course/ South Somerset and beyond are all welcome to come along. It doesn’t matter what emotional or A number of people from outside agencies and mental health difficulties your child or young organisations have joined our latest training person is struggling with – we are here to offer session, taking these skills back into their working support. Talking to others, and realising you are environment. Those people who have already not alone, can be tremendously beneficial; and undertaken this training have commented on how talking to people who understands can break valuable they have found it. We hope to offer a down some of the sense of isolation and fear that further training session in the Spring. If you surrounds mental illness. would like to register your interest, please get in touch. A number of our volunteers will also be doing Level 2 Child Protection Training later this month, and we continue to look for further training opportunities to increase our staff and volunteers’ skills. Volunteers and staff working with our young people are DBS checked in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy. Although we currently have sufficient volunteers to cover our support sessions, we are looking for We will be meeting in a private room in the hotel, people who could help with fundraising, to make it easier for people to talk openly about marketing and administration. If you would be their concerns, issues and challenges, and hope to interested in getting involved, please do get in invite speakers to the group from time to time. touch. Home Farm Hotel is easily accessible, situated on the A35 between Axminster and Honiton. There Supporting The Project is free parking at the hotel. Food, teas, coffees and drinks are available at the hotel for those who A huge thank you to all those who, to date, have wish to purchase them. given financial support to The Project. 70% of our funding has come from local grant funds and If you are interested in finding out more, please organisations, as well as individual financial get in touch. contributions and fundraising efforts.
Staff and Volunteers To expand and develop The Project, and the services we can offer to those affected by mental Our young people’s sessions are facilitated by a health issues, we continue to explore and seek Senior Youth Worker from Devon Youth Service, out further funding opportunities. and a Mental Health Support Worker, assisted by volunteers. The Project Our volunteers range in age from young people Young People’s Centre with a lived experience of mental illness, through to older, retired people who have worked in Lyme Road mental health or with young people Axminster professionally. EX13 5AZ Our volunteers and staff continue to receive tel: 01404 549045 appropriate training to help support our young mobile: 07970 167341 people. email: [email protected] By the end of this week, all our volunteers will have completed Youth Mental Health First Aid www.theprojectyp.org.uk training. Youth MHFA is an internationally recognised training programme designed Follow us on Twitter: @TheProjectYP specifically for those people that teach, work, live Facebook: www.facebook.com/theprojectYP
The Project is hosted by East Devon Volunteer Support Agency (EDVSA), Registered Charity No. 1134611 working in partnership with Devon Youth Service