Over the past two years, east to west has seen an increase in the need for mental health counselling in schools, partly because of the raised threshold required for CAMHS support.

east to west, with the support of the HSYA grant, have developed their Peripatetic Counselling model enabling them to supervise ‘counsellors in training’ whilst they provide support for young people. This has increased their capacity between three and four-fold, with only a small increase in costs.

One additional thing that the Covid pandemic has enabled east to west to do is develop their virtual capacity, creating a provision which allows them to work remotely, helping to support those who are school refusing or potentially playing truant or at risk of exclusion.

This quote below helps to highlight the impact Peripatetic Counselling is having: “I’ve been able to talk about a lot more things than I thought I would. My friends think because I don’t talk about my dad dying any more, I’ve got over it, but I haven’t. And my family don’t want to talk about it because it makes them sad. So, it’s helped to talk about it all again and now I understand it wasn’t my fault I didn’t get to be there at the end for him to say goodbye.”

https://www.easttowest.org.uk

St Peter’s Church is heavily focused on serving the local community through youth and children’s work. According to the 2011 census, 46.4% of local households had no adults in employment.

St Peter’s run a youth drop-in at the local youth centre, four times a week. This has been successful in building relationships with young people in the community. They see a diverse group of young people meeting for a space to play games, get something to eat and hang out after school. St Peter’s are expanding focused projects such as a football club and a music programme, including instrument teaching, music production and live performance.

During lockdown, the youth workers focused on outreach, meeting the young people on the streets and in the recreation ground – maintaining a positive relationship with them. This is now reaping rewards as the young people are returning to the youth centre and the positive activities offered there.

St Peter’s believe that relationship building is absolutely crucial for curbing anti-social behaviour and supporting the vulnerable. All the youth and children’s work is currently supported by a team of overseas volunteers. These young adults dedicate a year to supporting the local youth and community work.

https://www.spwm.org.uk

Emerge enables trained volunteers to support young people who attend A&E at the Royal Surrey because of self- harm, a suicide attempt or emotional crisis. Sitting with them in hospital, Emerge provide reassurance and encourage young people to engage effectively with the NHS staff.

Emerge continue to support young people for three months after discharge, building relationships and connecting them with community resources to reduce the risk of a further crisis and to set them on a new trajectory in life.

An example of their work is a young woman who was already on an intensive support programme but was still ending up in A&E twice a week. The Emerge youth worker successfully helped her engage with a community football scheme, and eventually the young woman was stable enough to enrol at college. She was discharged from the intensive support programme (the first person in Surrey ever to achieve this). She said this would not have happened without Emerge’s support and the tools they had given her to help her cope with life. She said, ‘I still have bad days, but now I have hope’.

Congratulations to Emerge on the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, with a commendation for efforts during the pandemic.

https://emergeadvocacy.com

The project focuses on providing the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) to young people in Spelthorne. The focus on these young people in high need communities provides them with tools to divert from anti-social behaviour. Phoenix is the only 14-plus provision in Spelthorne that allows young people to just pop in. Their continued success relies on the investment in peer leaders. This investment is centred around the DofE Award and four key areas; Social integration rather than social isolation; Resilience rather than vulnerability; Horizon broadening rather than limited ambition; and Working as a team rather than in isolation.

The Phoenix Project kept going during the first lockdown period through closed social media contact and in August formed into ‘bubbles’ of ten to continue with their DofE programme focusing on the Service side of the award, with work parties helping out on allotments and undertaking ‘litter picking’. The excitement of meeting face to face was palpable!

The HSYA funded the DofE licence for this period and it has proved vital for these young people, who will now be catching up on their expedition skills.

‘STEPS to 16’ is an alternative programme run by Surrey Care Trust to support young people aged 14-16 who have been excluded from school. High quality mentoring enables students to gain City and Guilds qualifications in Maths, English and ICT functional skills, and OCN personal development certificates, so they can move onto further education or employment.

The HSYA award funded an OCN module involving drug awareness, sexual exploitation, good decision making and staying safe online, all aimed at reducing crime amongst some of the most disadvantaged young people in Surrey. This has improved the students’ understanding of the wider effects of crime and how it limits life opportunities.

Before he was referred to STEPS, Sam (name changed) hadn’t really attended school for almost a year. Instead, he had been hanging out with a group who were regularly getting into trouble with the police for fighting, shoplifting and stealing bikes and mopeds. Now he wants to go on to a tree surgery course at Merrist Wood College, so supported by his tutors – as the students have been throughout the pandemic – he is working hard to achieve the qualifications he needs to get accepted onto the course and a promising career.

http://www.surreycaretrust.co.uk

In direct response to the pandemic and the evolving needs of Surrey’s young people, GASP piloted a new format of delivery, inviting individual referrals to create mixed cohorts for their practical mechanics-based courses. Referrals have come from the Youth Justice team, Surrey County Council, Short-Stay Schools and parents. The demand for spaces has been overwhelming and is indicative of the huge educational gaps and inequality the pandemic has exacerbated.

The HSYA grant enabled GASP to trial these courses, and then to expand the group size. Very shortly two courses were running with 6 young people on each. Due to the support needs of the group and the disparity of ability, GASP has allocated an additional member of staff to improve the ratio to 1:2. This facilitates greater practical learning and engagement; and encourages positive mentor/mentee relationships.

“I like coming to GASP and getting to know the tools and how to be a mechanic. But even if I don’t do it as a job, I’ll know how to look after my own bike. It’s much better than school because there it’s all pens and paper, but here you have tools in your hand. It’s different – it’s more relaxing, but you still get to learn stuff.” Excluded pupil, May 2021.

http://gaspmotorproject.org

The Amber Foundation supports homeless and disadvantaged young people and gives them the structure and support needed for them to transform their lives.

Over the course of the pandemic, Amber remained in operation, accepting new homeless people when space became available. During this time, the young people at Amber experienced an increased level of anxiety, not only due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, but also about their long- term prospects.

Despite issues with infection control, staffing, fundraising, IT and the increased stress and mental health issues of the young people, Amber have had some notable successes. Tasha grew up in a dysfunctional family, and at 16 was kidnapped by a County Lines gang and put to work delivering drugs. She managed to escape but had become addicted to drugs and then homeless last summer when the country came out of lockdown. At Amber, Tasha remained clean from drugs, and enrolled in a full-time mechanics course after attending a course with GASP. She said, “If I hadn’t come to Amber, I think I’d be dead or in prison. I would definitely still be using, as I couldn’t see any way out from the situation that I was in. Amber saved me.”

https://amberweb.org

During to the pandemic, with all youth clubs closed, Surrey Clubs for Young People (SCYP) were asked to work with the police to engage young people who were gathering in large groups outside home illegally. It found that many youths came from disadvantaged backgrounds and were escaping turbulent home lives, to stay connected to their friends. This engagement with over 700 youths gave insight and understanding of how the pandemic affected young people. It showed that there was an urgent need for them to have a safe space to meet their friends and to do positive activities, instead of meeting and engaging in dangerous and illegal activities.

To help with this, SCYP have taken on ten youth club buildings from Surrey County Council. The award from the HSYA has funded the training of youth workers and volunteers to help them manage the pent-up energies of the young people and provide them with engaging activities in safe spaces. Six youth clubs have now reopened, and the staff and volunteers are undertaking further outreach work to encourage the young people back into the clubs and off the streets. Feedback from the young people and from the Police Community Support Officers is helping to shape how the clubs evolve.

https://www.scyp.co.uk

Citizens Advice Elmbridge West (CAEW) is a local charity providing free, impartial, confidential advice to everybody in need over the age of 16, living in Walton on Thames, Weybridge and Hersham. National research has shown, as a ‘general rule’ Citizens Advice does not serve young people well. It is estimated there are 12,500 16-24 year olds living in Elmbridge, however last year before the pandemic, just 240 clients of that age used their service.

In light of this and in expectation of greater demand as a result of Covid, CAEW have set up Young Citizens Advice. The HSYA award has funded the planning process, the creation of links with colleges, and local business who employ a high proportion of young people. It has also enabled the creation of a promotional leaflet and the design of workshops, promoting healthy relationships and money management.

The newly employed Youth Manager and two Interns are implementing the two-year delivery plan and a youth forum will be advising on the activities as they move forward. The improved use of technology, driven by Covid, has bought a bonus enabling CAEW to take on important younger volunteers from Guildford Law School – working remotely.

https://www.caew.org.uk

The London Irish Foundation delivers projects that use the power of sport to make a lasting, positive impact on individuals’ lives and to build a meaningful and sustainable legacy for sport and education across our communities. The HSYA has supported them with awards for the TEAM and HITZ projects running in Spelthorne.

TEAM is a three month programme supporting young people who are at risk of becoming NEET. As with all the London Irish community work, this centres around rugby, but in this case teamed up with the Prince’s Trust to provide the framework for the employability skills. 30 young people have benefitted this year despite the restrictions on face-to-face activities.

HITZ is a longer-term programme aimed at young people who have become NEET, developing life skills, literacy, and enabling qualifications and work placements. HITZ continued during lockdown providing social interaction which brought joy and excitement to the faces of the 30 young people supported this year.

The HSYA has enabled the use of better facilities and resources, and more effective transport to both projects. As a result, there has been 98% success in moving the beneficiaries onto a ‘Positive Pathway to Success’.

http://www.londonirishfoundation.org

The Therapy Garden uses horticulture and education to have a positive and significant impact on the lives of people facing challenges in life. Supporting over 40 clients each week, the Garden is open to clients for 50 weeks each year, come rain, come shine, as there is plenty of indoor and undercover workspace and activities to suit all the seasons.

Referrals are made via schools, CAMHS, Family and Children’s Services, Social Services and directly. This includes children in danger of becoming NEET. The Therapy Garden replaces one day a week at school with off-site vocational training, and City and Guilds courses.

In March 2020, the lockdown meant that the young people were no longer able to attend, and income was dramatically cut. Daunted, but not defeated, ‘TG@Home’ was created; cardboard boxes were bought and every week 35+ boxes, containing bulbs, seedlings, compost, etc. were sent out to clients. On their usual attendance day, a video call was organised to carry out the activity and to catch up with their peers. For young people on their City and Guilds courses, teaching has continued. It has been a huge learning curve for the Therapy Garden, but they have emerged stronger and better prepared.

https://www.thetherapygarden.org

Peer Productions is a social change youth arts charity who train young, peer actor educators (aged 17-23) from a range of backgrounds to share their skills with other young people to explore challenging social and health issues. Their vision is to use theatre to change young people’s lives.

‘50 Days: Together Alone’ is a mini- series filmed within lockdown or social distancing conditions, performed by young actors and will be available online to be accessed by other young people. The HSYA has provided funding to the project which builds on last year’s Alone Together project, but instead of focusing on the impact of being isolated, Together Alone explores the impact of enforced togetherness and how this impacts on families, friendships and relationships. The dramatic content, together with essential information, advice and guidance, is blended together and reaches young people, not only in their schools but also at home. 15 young people have been involved with producing the film, in creating the resources, and the acting.

Alone Together is currently available to teachers and young people. It explores issues relating to lockdown, such as controlling relationships, and lost contact with trusted adults, particularly teachers, from whom it has received positive feedback.

https://www.peerproductions.co.uk

LIFE Education Provision provides a full- time Education Programme for Students in years 12 to 14. Based at Frimley Green Youth Centre, LIFE provides students with the time they need to overcome barriers and supports them with the progression into employment, education and training.

Funding from the HSYA supported the summer project for vulnerable students who required additional support transitioning to a positive destination, due to the Covid crisis. All of the students have social and emotional difficulties and some of the students are known to the police for anti-social behaviour.

LIFE operated in its own individual “Education bubble”, enabling the summer project to open within the DFES guidelines. Due to the differing needs of the cohort, the students were offered a varied timetable within the constraints linked to Covid 19. The programme included activities in the local community, sports and fitness, arts and crafts, cooking and well-being activities to increase resilience and manage stress, with a particular emphasis on mixing with other people after the lockdown.

Jo Heath, manager of LIFE stated “The summer transition project was really beneficial to the students. For some of the students, they had not been out of the house for long periods of time”.

https://www.surreyheath.gov.uk/frimley-green-youth-centre

The Kingsmoor Park Junior Youth Project is run by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing from the Moorcroft Community Centre in Woking. It is supported by Woking Borough Youth Offer and offers positive activities and one to one support for young people with issues around anti-social behaviour. During lockdown, the Youth Project has increased its detached youth work to maintain contact with the young people.

The award from the HSYA has enabled the youth workers to maintain contact with the young people from the Junior Youth Project throughout the COVID 19 lockdown period and to provide wellbeing activities. The Project has engaged with whole families at home by providing Wellbeing Art packs, flower and vegetable seeds, and growing materials. Encouraged by the youth workers they have nurtured these seeds at home, as well as entering the sunflower growing competition. Some of the plants are now being transferred to the Moorcroft community flower beds, with the young people taking responsibility for watering them.

The young people have had someone to talk to on a weekly basis and communication has also increased with parents of the young people who participate in the project, enabling them to talk about issues they are having throughout the lockdown period.

https://www.mtvh.co.uk/