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Jade Pancoust has set up a non-profit company to help children leave mental health wards

A student nurse who is making it her mission to help children who are on mental health wards in Northampton.

Jade Pancoust has worked in adult mental health care for nine years and is in her final year of studying for a mental health nursing degree at the University of Northampton.

While she was out on placement for her course, she came across a children’s mental health ward where she saw first hand the troubles these children face.

Jade, who has set up a non-profit company to help children with mental health issues, with her daughter Luna-Mae, who is a 'massive inspiration' to her mum. | ugc

The 33-year-old said: “I did a placement at Berrywood Hospital and I noticed the children do not get out a lot and that can mean they end up being aggressive. They lose skills and social interactions.

“I’ve worked with adults in mental health care for years, but working on the children’s wards has opened up my eyes to how the cuts make such a difference to the children and their lives.

“Going out more and having activities available could help get them back out into society rather than deteriorating, which is what I have seen a lot of and what I want to eradicate in the long term.”

Jade was inspired to set up a non-profit company, called NewHope Wolfpack, so that she could help change the lives of the children she worked with and hopefully ‘get them off the ward’.

Jade received a lot of thank you letters from her Christmas appeal. She wants the public to see the letters to show them how much their donations mean to the children. | ugc

It is a community interest company (CIC) that can be run by one person, rather than a charity that has to have more trustees, as this is something Jade felt like she could not trust anyone else with.

After setting up the company towards the end of last year, Jade turned her attention to collecting donations of Christmas presents to give to the children.

She added: “At Christmas they don’t normally get a lot and it’s usually a pretty bad day for them so I did a collection of Christmas presents for them.

“I put out a post on Facebook to ask for donations and companies and the police got involved.

“There was so much donated, there must have been £1,000 worth.

“I had thank you letters from the children and one even said they had never received a Christmas present in their life. It made their day.

“They were excited that the public had got together and gave them these presents as normally they see themselves as a burden to the public.”

Now Jade and her six-year-old daughter, Luna-Mae, who helped pick out the presents and wrap them, are hoping to collect for the children once again by asking for Easter egg donations.

Jade added: “I’m asking for donations of Easter eggs so that the children have something.”

Jade is also hoping to increase her fundraising to provide more funds for the ward, as well as collecting sensory items that Berrywood Hospital near Duston needs, such as stress balls, mindfulness colouring books and pamper items.

If you want to get involved by donating an Easter egg or any of the sensory items needed, contact Jade on her Facebook page New Hope Wolf Pack or email her on [email protected].

Meet the Northampton nursing student who wants to go the extra mile to help children on mental health wards