Research has shown that half of adult mental illness' start by the age of 14, meaning prevention and early support is vital. Barnsley is currently the 39th most deprived Local Authority out of 326 places. Child poverty is significantly worse than the nation average. Self-harm for 10 to 24 year olds is significantly worse (over 50% more) than the England average and is increasing* We are working together with young people in Barnsley to change this experience for the better!
The Wellbeing Hub
The Wellbeing Hub is led by young people with lived experience of mental health, based on what they believe will be effective early help, creating a service that reaches out to isolated children, young people and families in the most deprived areas of Barnsley. Using innovative & collaborative methods we will improve access to prevention, early intervention & mental health support. The Barnsley Hub model combines the different proven approaches of Youth Work, Social Action, wellbeing resilience building initiatives, & proven early interventions, to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts.
We have secured a building where the hub will be based & the young people have planned how they want the space to look, as a charity we need to raise as much money as possible to make their ideas a reality.
The young people in our OASIS group wrote what they believe a wellbeing hub should be:
A COMFORTABLE wellbeing hub would have comfy chairs, bean bags, creative activities, and a welcoming environment. It should also have a good first impression, music, soft rooms be able to signpost and offer a range of services for those aged 0-25.
A SAFE wellbeing hub should have no cracks in the walls, lockers for bags/belongings, safeguarding policies and a building manager. It should be safe all the time, have security, warmth, and everyone worker should receive mental health first aid training.
An EMPOWERING wellbeing hub would have opportunities, post 16 choices/volunteering, a young person’s wellbeing hub board. It should have everyone working together, young people’s art and campaign work included in décor, and feedback forms and methods visible and accessible.
A YOUNG PERSON FRIENDLY wellbeing hub should have community involvement, a wide range of services for those aged 0-25 and for parents and carers. It should be accessible, have brail and gender-neutral options. It should be open at different hours to meet the needs of many. It should be open when young people can access it after school and weekends.
An AMAZING wellbeing hub should have young people’s involvement, opportunity for young people to strive, young person friendly staff and well managed.
Outreach
We are already working all over Barnsley but having a central hub as a base will allow staff to reach more young people in Barnsley. Staff have set up Peer Mentoring within Barnsley College and Sixth Form and are training staff to use the Mental health Passport. They are currently rolling this out into schools as well as doing creative wellbeing sessions around Barnsley.
The BRV (Belonging, Resilience, Vocabulary) project works with groups of young men and boys in Sheffield and Barnsley to help them achieve a sense of belonging, resilience and improved understanding of themselves. They will engage with themes such as personal and group identities, health and wellbeing, how to manage difficult emotions, citizenship and core values. All of this will help them navigate adolescence and help them aspire to positive futures. Through group workshops, art and photography sessions, the boys and young men will explore and enrich their emotional intelligence.
We are training staff and students in College, Sixth Form and schools to use the mental health passports to make the process for transitioning from schools or services easier and stress free for young people.
The STAMP (Support, Think, Act, Motivate, Participate) group designed the digital mental health passport. The ‘My Mental Health Passport’ website is a free space where young people can describe their experiences, preferences, emotions and feelings in a confidential environment. It’s been designed by young people for young people, so they can have more control over their information and their own stories. They’ve also added an emoji journal so young people can keep a track on mood or experiences between appointments to give a truer reflection of how they have been over the course of a week or a month.
What will we offer?
We aim to set up a Wellbeing Hub including Café that will provide a safe space for young people in Barnsley to access drop-in support and structured activities around their emotional wellbeing & mental health.
Youth workers and practitioners will work form the hub and provide support and signposting for young people; we also be there for young people to talk to when they need to.
We plan to run creative wellbeing activities designed to support young people develop positive coping and self-care strategies.
We want the space to be designed by young people and provide the support young people have been telling us they need. There are rising rates of mental health issues in young people and our research is showing that young people are under intense pressure yet have nowhere to go and are calling for a central wellbeing space.
Chilypep’s current group activities will now be able to be delivered from the Hub and will include Mental Health Participation group OASIS, our BRV boys and young men's programme, Peer Mentoring and Mental Health Training for young people and professionals. We all know Mental Health services and support can be difficult to access and we want the Wellbeing Hub to change that and provide an Open Space for Young people to reach out when they need it.
A training room and resources developed around mental health.
A quiet / sensory room for young people who would benefit from this.
A media room - a place to record music, podcasts and make noise, this room is already soundproofed.
A stocked kitchen and washing machine young people can access and use for free.
Weekly support groups as well as courses, training and drop ins.
What will your donation buy?
We have the building but we are looking to raise the money to make it possible for us to work from there and fulfill what the young people want, at the moment it is uninhabitable, but you can help us change that!
£5 - Will buy essentials to stock the kitchen, tea, coffee, pop, bread and butter for a young people meaning young people can access this for free! Or it will buy menstrual products for the same reason.
£10 - Will buy the resources for a young people to make a Mental Health First Aid Kit.
£20 - Will pay for a mental health passport training session, board games or colouring books.
£30 - Will pay for LED colour sensory lighting, a creative wellbeing session or signage.
£50 - Will pay for a group support session, time spent delivering free training, a comfortable chair, a table or 1 hour of the drop in service for young people.
£100 - Will buy Kitchen Essentials (Mugs, Cutlery, Kettle, toaster, plates), a punching bag or paint for the space.
£200 - Creative resources for 6 months worth of sessions, a fridge freezer for the kitchen space or musical equipment.
£1000 - Will repair the toilets as they are currently unusable!
£2000 - Will buy a sensory pod, pay for all the furniture in the hub or mean we can replace all the flooring.
Any money donated will be used to buy paint, furniture, update kitchen & toilet facilities, to continue to develop innovative methods of support like the Mental Health Passport, which gives young people power over their story, make the space a welcoming and enjoyable place to be fulfilling as much as we can of what is asked above.
Suicide is the largest cause of mortality for young people under 35. (Papyrus, 2018.)
We all know Mental Health services and support can be difficult to access and we want the Wellbeing Hub to change that and provide an Open Space for Young people to reach out when they need it.
*Indices of Multiple deprivation 2019