Bliss bobbing in the ocean for Georgia's Voice

Having worked within the NHS, and predominantly mental health services, for 15 years, I have seen first hand the increasing need for mental health support and intervention, especially amongst the youngest in our society. 

• Three quarters (75%) of mental health issues are established before the age of 24, and young women have emerged as the highest-risk group for mental ill health.
• Today, women are three times more likely than men to experience common mental health problems. In 1993, they were twice as likely
• Rates of self-harm among young women have tripled since 1993
• Women are more than three times as likely to experience eating disorders than men
• Young women are three times more likely than young men to experience post-traumatic stress disorder
• Young women are more likely to experience anxiety-related conditions than any other group

(Mental Health Foundation)

But what if it didn't have to be like this? What if our community, our village, stepped up to wrap their arms around us, to prevent so many young women reaching crisis point? That's where charities like Georgia's Voice come in, who work tirelessly in the pursuit or providing safe, local provision for those who are experiencing ill mental health, at their time of need. 

Georgia’s Voice support groups have already created a huge network of support and understanding for young women throughout Cornwall who are in need of a safe place to turn.

The safe spaces that Georgia’s Voice currently provide enable young women to talk and to really be listened to – with empathy, with understanding and without judgement.

There is a critical need in Cornwall for dedicated safe spaces for young people, which is aim of this fundraising campaign for Georgia's Voice. 

Known as the Georgia’s Voice Lifesaving Hub, Chy at the Village and The Village Kitchen will be a sanctuary for young women to come together, to receive emotional support, to build connections and to find their “village”.

Comprising a dedicated support hub and a café (the ongoing operation of which will sustainably support the hub), this will be the first facility of its kind in Cornwall for young women to learn new skills, express themselves, discover ways to nourish and nurture their mental health and – of course – talk... and be listened to.

That's why, on the 10 August, I will be joining 40+ other gig rowers to row a Cornish coastal marathon (26.2 miles). We'll be setting off at the crack of dawn to ensure we get the miles in before dark, with all the elements the Cornish weather and sea rowing like to throw at us. 

Any support, however small, will go a long way to helping the young women of Cornwall have the support they so desperately need. 

Thank you!