Children’s Mental Health Week: Charity stresses importance of giving young people ‘a sense of community’

To mark Children’s Mental Health Week, the Chronicle & Echo spoke to one of the employees from a charity offering vital services to young people.

The Lowdown, in Kingswell Street, provides free and confidential support services to those aged 11 to 25 across the county – and has done for more than 34 years.

They believe no young person should experience mental health issues alone and their services include counselling, youth groups, support for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and sexual health advice.

Charlene Ward-Greef has worked at The Lowdown for three months, in the newly introduced role of access and engagement lead.

Her work has three main priorities, the first of which is to raise awareness of what The Lowdown does among young people and the wider community.

“We want young people to know about what we do before they know they need us,” said Charlene.

The second is identifying the barriers young people face in accessing mental health services, before working to break down and reduce the reasons they do not visit The Lowdown.

The last is to get feedback from the young people to continue developing the services on offer and improving them each day.

“We didn’t have these services to go to when I was younger and now I’m wishing I did,” said Charlene, who also worked with young people in her former role in sports development.

“The wonderful workers do such great work and there are so many stories about how it has such a huge impact on their lives.

“As a parent myself, I would like to think when my child is older they will be able to get that help and support. It’s a safe place to go.”

Charlene shared that counselling is one of The Lowdown’s core services and is available for 11 to 25 year olds. They can even self-refer.

The cafe is also available for young people aged 11 to 18 on Mondays and Fridays, if they simply want to drop in and get some support from a counsellor or support worker.

The sexual health service runs on the same evenings as the cafe and can be accessed by anyone aged 14 and over. They can receive support, or utilise pregnancy and STI tests. For those who need it, the sexual health service advises what they can do next if they need assistance with test results.

The youth groups are a relatively new addition to The Lowdown, as a result of the young people expressing the need for a “safe space to socialise with other young people”.

These operate on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and activities form part of the service – including crafting sessions, movie nights, baking and cooking, just to name a few.

The young adult social follows the youth group on a Thursday evening and offers the same service but for those of an older age.

Sessions for members of the LGBTQ+ community are also available, which assists in the same way as a youth group but “in a community where they feel like they belong”.

It is the youth advisory board that plays a pivotal role in what the charity offers, as it enables the service’s attendees to give their feedback and be heard.

“It allows young people to have a voice,” said Charlene. “It is instrumental in what we do at The Lowdown. Any changes go through them.”

The happier families programme, which is neither counselling or therapy, is a relationship service where families with a child aged five or older can be assisted by The Lowdown over a six-week period.

The RE:Start service is for attendees aged 16 and above who may require bespoke information, advocacy and practical support. For example, they may need a team member to attend a meeting with them or require support with handling bills if they have just moved into a new home.

Finally, mindspace sessions for those aged 11 to 18 is a revamped service – in which young people drop in to focus on self-care. It is less about socialising and more about taking part in activities that prioritise the self.

‘There’s so much stress and anxiety that young people face’

The Lowdown will be visiting one school each day throughout Children’s Mental Health Week (February 5 to 11), to raise awareness of what is on offer.

“While schools are trying to do their own support services around mental health, many young people want somewhere else to go outside of school,” said Charlene.

“Our online self-referral allows them to get support without having to tell anyone else. It’s really unique and important.

“We’re trying to get it out there as young people didn’t know exactly what we did – and there’s anxiety, fear and stress around the unknown.”

When asked why she believes there has been such a rise in the demand for youth mental health services in recent years, Charlene said: “It’s a combination. Everyone talks about Covid and coming off the back of that has been massive.

“It changed the social situation and some young people became isolated. We give them the chance to meet with like-minded people, as young people need a sense of community.

“It’s about making them aware. There’s so much stress and anxiety that young people face – where they fit in as an individual, exams, family and relationships, and that has been heightened as a result of Covid.”

Talking about the most important message that The Lowdown wants to promote this Children’s Mental Health Week, Charlene said: “Their voice matters. It’s important to communicate how they feel and what they say does matter to us.”

Charlene hopes that continuing to get feedback about the support they need with their mental health will encourage young people not to be afraid and to get in touch if they need it.

To conclude, the access and engagement lead also stressed that the refurbishment currently being made to the charity’s premises in Kingswell Street will undoubtedly make the service more accessible.

For more information on The Lowdown and the services on offer, visit the charity’s website here.