(by editorial board, Charity Today, 1st October 2020)
Parents of thousands of young people who are struggling with their mental health will be able to get help from trained advisors and volunteers thanks to a major grant from London Freemasons to YoungMinds mental health charity.
The £85,000 grant to YoungMinds will support their free Parents Helpline. The helpline is open Monday-Friday 9am to 4pm, however, parents can contact them outside of normal operating hours via email. It is staffed by 18 volunteers, five Helpline Advisers and two Team Leaders, alongside 23 mental health Professional Advisers. The volunteers who answer the initial calls help parents to understand their child’s behaviour and also give practical advice on how to get support.
Last year the helpline answered nearly 8,000 calls and supported over 4,000 parents through their email service. They were also able to give nearly 3,000 parents a 50-minute call-back with a trained mental health professional adviser.
Young people today face a wide range of pressures including school stress, concerns about how they look and difficult relationships with family and friends. Traumatic experiences at a young age – like growing up in poverty, experiencing neglect or dealing with bereavement can also impact mental health. On average, three children in every classroom has…
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