West Kent YMCA has officially extended its in-house Talk-2-Us counselling service following a huge increase in demand from individuals and organisations across the county.
The 12-month-old service was originally set up for young people living at West Kent YMCA’s Tunbridge Wells’ supported housing project or trainees in its vocational training provisions. It supported those who were unable to access local NHS Child and Adolescents Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services.
But it has now been extended to support 11 to 26-year olds from across Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Malling, Sevenoaks, Edenbridge and the surrounding areas following an official launch at the charity’s Pagoda Centre, in High Brooms, on Friday 29 January.
The event was attended by almost 40 healthcare professionals and local authority representatives, including Deputy Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Councillor David Neve.
Cllr Neve said: “It is positive that the subject of mental health is being discussed more and more by both the media and the public.
“However, taking the first step to getting help is the hardest thing a lot of people can do. What Talk-2-Us is, is an open door to help in a relaxing atmosphere.
“YMCA is changing lives.”
The Talk-2-Us project originally started with just one staff member working a single day each week. Due to initial high demand, this grew to include further volunteer counsellors while its latest expansion will also see it providing support for parents and staff who may wish to receive advice, mentoring or counselling, themselves.
Individuals can be referred to the service through local GPs, housing associations, charities, youth services, schools or parents; alternatively, they can self-refer.
Those who sign-up from outside YMCA will be asked to make a financial contribution towards to their sessions, which will be assessed on individuals financial circumstances.
Read more about Talk2Us and contact the team on West Kent YMCA’s website: www.westkentymca.org.uk/projects/counselling
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Notes to editors
- Founded in 1844, YMCA in England is made up of 114 member YMCAs working to ensure that young people have opportunities to thrive and contribute positively to their communities.
- YMCA operates in over 530 different communities in England impacting upon the lives of over 600,000 people every year.
- YMCAs provide almost 10,000 beds for young people every night. YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of safe, supported accommodation for young men and women.
- YMCA enables nearly 43,000 people every year to engage in education, skills and training to enable them to improve their opportunities in the job market.
- YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of health and wellbeing services promoting physical activity.