Changing Futures second round of funding will become available in September 2019.
YMCA England & Wales has a vision that the YMCA network throughout the country will be viewed amongst partners and stakeholders as one of the leading deliverers of mental health programmes, especially for young people.
Changing Futures is a national YMCA Programme targeting young people, aged 11-18, to experience positive mental health more often. The Programme is based on YMCA feedback from delivering mental health services and young people consultation which highlighted mental health as the number one health and wellbeing concern.
In line with government policy, Changing Futures is based on preventative and early intervention programmes and it can be used in the long term to address some of the following shocking statistics amongst regional and national funding partners:
- 4 Children in every classroom have a mental health disorder
- Lack of provision means that only a quarter of young people in need are able to access mental health services
- 700 young people take their own lives each year
- Suicide is the most common cause of death for boys aged 5-19 years old
Based predominantly in an education setting, Changing Futures is based on three key interconnected service areas that aim to destigmatise and raise awareness of mental health issues:
- Peer to peer education – recruiting, supporting and training young people to deliver key mental health information to their peers
- Key Adult Education – equipping parents, teachers and youth workers to be able to better support young people with their mental health difficulties
- Counselling – providing counselling and other therapeutic services to young people who need additional support but who don’t meet the access criteria for NHS services.
As a result, we would love to hear from local YMCA’s with existing or potential links with local schools/colleges to take on the challenge of delivering additional capacity and support for young people’s mental health services through taking advantage of the second round of Changing Futures Funding, available from September 2019. Already, since the first round of funding at the start of the year, YMCA’s throughout the country have utilised the additional funding to successfully pump-prime or provide additional capacity to young people’s mental health services.
Although based in an education setting, it is viewed that local YMCA ‘s will build on their USP of delivering at the heart of communities and providing a range of holistic services for young people to attract long term funding from external partners.
The above services are part of an overall Changing Future’s strategic landscape delivered by YMCA England & Wales nationally and supporting YMCA programmes locally. These involve:
- Stigma – Tackling the stigma that may prevent young people from speaking out and seeking help.
You may recognise this to date as our #IAMWHOLE work.
- Signposting – Making sure that young people know what support is available to them and where to find it.
We are currently investigating digital apps and an interactive website providing additional support and a ‘one-stop-shop’ for young people mental health services.
- Support – Boosting capacity to ensure young people have swift access to appropriate and effective services.
Feedback from YMCA mental health programmes include:
‘Being involved in the project has had a really positive outcome on my personal wellbeing and I have met some great people’
‘The sessions build me up. It gives me the tools, techniques and experience to be in control’.
‘We have relied heavily on the service from YMCA, and have received nothing but unfailing support for our students when they most needed it.’
Further information can be found under the Campaigns section of the George Website or contact Graham Oatridge at graham.oatridge@ymca.org.uk.