WHATS THE NEED?

The suicide rates in young women under 24 in the UK are the highest they've ever been since recording began by ONS in 1981.

OUR STORY, GEORGIA'S LEGACY

 In July 2020 Georgia Gallaway, aged just 19 years old, tragically took her own life.  

 In the wake of such devastating heartbreak for the loss of her beautiful daughter, Georgia’s mum Sophie Alway vowed to help as many young girls as possible to stop this from ever happening again. As a result, Sophie founded Georgia’s Voice. Georgia’s Voice is a suicide prevention charity based in Cornwall offering fundamental emotional support to young women aged 18-25 with mental health concerns. 

"This charity is helping me to feel like I’m living rather than just surviving. Even in crisis, the group is still able to make me smile and laugh. The group activities we take part in together, are so much fun, and I feel like I’m making memories that will last. Thanks to Georgia’s Voice, I no longer feel alone."

 OUR IMPACT SO FAR

 In just over three years Georgia’s Voice has grown into a respected charity which has trained a team of volunteer Facilitators who hold free weekly support groups for up to 15 women each, across 12 different locations in Cornwall and one group online. The sessions allow a vital opportunity for young women to receive emotional support using a variety of methods. We also help these young women with signposting to professional mental health services and can make referrals for, and fund talking therapy. In addition, we provide wellbeing activities that promote good mental health, build relationships, and grow confidence. Through our work, we have an opportunity to help save lives and prevent escalation of mental health issues in young women and girls before they need professional help.  

"I’ve started to fall in love with living again, I don’t feel so alone, and I have a safe space to look forward to being part of every week."

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

 We believe it takes a village – to support one another and share our stories. We wanted to create a safe space for women to come together and to spread the message that no woman should struggle alone. Georgia’s Voice is our village – a place where all young women are welcome. You do not have to speak or share, you can simply sit or engage in crafts, but know that you are held here – a home for young women with mental health concerns.

 "Georgia’s Voice is so much more than a weekly check-in; it gives me a sense of unity and belonging. Since attending group, there’s never been a time where I’ve felt lack of opportunity to express my thoughts/feelings; I always feel there are people to talk to, and I never feel rushed. To sum Georgia’s Voice up – walking into the room is like walking into friends with open arms." 

WHATS NEXT?

The feedback we get from our members is that they have nowhere to go between group sessions to prevent crisis, we have identified the need for a 'hub'.

SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?

We are opening a brand new hub in Pool for young women living in Cornwall and a Café to fund the hub! Pool is an area of great deprivation and need, but also a place with great transport links, this felt like the perfect home for our new venture-

The Village Kitchen- ‘Meet up, make a difference’

and

Chy at The Village- ‘Find your Tribe’ 

The hub will be the ‘home’ of our new space, a safe place for young women to come together and receive emotional support, make connections, build their tribe, their ‘village’ A place to learn new skills, and discover ways to better deal with poor mental health days. With the support of our team of recently qualified Peer support workers, we hope to help save the NHS money by reducing hospital admissions in young women around self harm and crisis, by giving them somewhere to go before they reach this point.

"I honestly think that without Georgia’s Voice I would have had to leave Uni and my dream course, as I was becoming increasingly too unsafe to be in the community. Since joining the group I’ve managed to stay out of A&E completely."

The hub will also offer us a space for team meetings, a place to hold in house training for our group facilitators, a fundraising space, and a place for the community and potential funders to visit to see the lifesaving work we do!

The Café will financially sustain the hub,  it is a place for the whole community to enjoy, a great space with fantastic coffee, teas, and lots of great breakfast, lunch and snack options, including fantastic meal deals! Everyone is welcome. A place where you will be buying more than just a coffee, with every purchase you will be helping to save the lives of young women in Cornwall.

"I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t start going to GV. I felt like I had nowhere to go and I had tried everything I could to feel better and nothing worked, until I started GV."

WHY ARE WE CROWDFUNDING?

In the long term our cosy café will help to financially support our hub, we have started a Crowdfunder to raise the start-up costs, with any extra going towards the first years running costs including well being work shops for the young women.

As part of the crowdfunding campaign, to help raise more money and raise more awareness, we are taking on a huge challenge!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

5 Women

4 Stories

3 Peaks

2 Days

1 Mission

5 of us (The trustees and our founder) will be climbing the national 3 Peaks,  Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowden over 2 days (18th&19th June!) and our mission? To reduce the suicide rate in young women in Cornwall. As part of this campaign we will be releasing 4 true life stories from 4 of our incredible members here at Georgia’s Voice. Keep your eyes peeled for the inspiring videos you will see posted throughout this campaign.

Our climb changes lives, Your donation makes the difference.

WHAT WILL WE SPEND THE MONEY ON?

Our initial target is to raise £50,000 to cover all the start up costs for our hub and Café, and our initial running costs, However our annual running costs will be around £180,000, so anything extra raised will go towards covering these costs.