According to the Mental Health Foundation, nearly one in 10 children and young people are affected by a mental health problem.  Hackney CVS’s young people dispute this; growing up in a deprived area in Hackney, London, they would say it is closer to 50%. Our youth leaders are passionate about reducing stigma around mental health issues, improving access to mental health services for their peers and giving them the tools to manage stress.

With funding from the Postcode Lottery Community Fund we are building on our previous Inside Out project, expanding the use of our peer-to-peer methodology to provide a wider range of well-being support to Hackney young people:

• The Cool Down Café partnership with Peabody and Young Hackney which aims to bring young people age 16-24 together with mental health professionals to reduce mental health stigma
• Youth-led workshops exploring 5 ways to well-being delivered to young people age 8-13
• Peer-facilitated Tree of Life and Mindfulness workshops to young people age 13-19.