Future Youth Zone gives young people somewhere safe, supportive and inspiring to go, providing open-access youth work and trusted facilities every day of the week.
Thanks to a generous grant from The Pixel Fund, our Mental Health First Aid Project will be able to support hundreds of children and young people to improve or stabilise their mental health and wellbeing through daily access to Youth Mental Health First Aid–trained Youth Workers.
These staff members embed inclusive mental health support into everyday youth work across all age groups aged 8 up to 19, or 25 for young people with additional needs. With over 100 young people attending most days, they meet young people where they are, offering friendly, trusted, support using the Youth MHFA action plan, proven tools such as the “Stress Container,” and themed workshops on identity, healthy relationships, resilience and more.
This will sit alongside wrap-around provision including our new dedicated counselling service, specialist partner-led sessions responding to local needs, and our role hosting Barking & Dagenham’s Community Mental Health Network Meetings. Combined with over 20 activities each evening, young people at Future Youth Zone can build confidence, learn new skills, form positive relationships and feel part of a supportive community.
