Since opening in 1977, Off The Record (OTR) has remained committed to providing unconditional, free counselling and group work services to young people from some of the most deprived areas of the UK.
In 2027, OTR will mark 50 years of helping young people, aged 11-25, achieve emotional health and wellbeing. As the only free-at-point-of-access counselling service for young people in Havant Borough, outside of NHS CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), OTR knows how crucial our services are to local families. Many rely on the safety net we provide when other options are either inaccessible or overwhelmed. In recent years, we have expanded our service offering to better support parents, carers and families, to strengthen the support network around the young person, leading to longer lasting positive outcomes.
In a time where mental health services are over stretched, demand is at an all-time high, limited statutory funding is available and an increasingly challenging fundraising landscape, OTR remains a reliable source of support in the communities we serve. This is the reason why fundraising and the generosity of donors is a lifeline for us and the hundreds of young people we support each year. Without this support, none of the work we do would be possible. The Pixel Funds contribution to our service means that at least 14 young people will receive direct one to one counselling, which offers early intervention, enabling young people to explore, understand and overcome issues that are affecting their mental health. The opportunity to talk to a neutral therapist away from a formal setting and home provides a powerful opportunity for young people to feel empowered and break the cycle of the impact of adverse and/or traumatic experiences. By encouraging them to use their personal resource to understand themselves and their relationships, we help them come to terms with their experiences and begin to accept themselves for who they are. Most importantly, it gives them capacity to avoid repeating and/or recycling the legacy that those behaviours can leave you with if untreated or unprocessed.
With the help of grants like the one provided by The Pixel Fund, we are building a future where every young person in our community has access to the mental health support they deserve, free of barriers and stigma.