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Dear Supporter,
Please see below for the minutes of our last Time Out Network Meeting.
Time Out network meeting, 15 June 2022, Halifax Central Library
Present: Gillian Rice – Libraries; Natalie Goss, Michela Harper & Kim Whymark – Invictus; Simon Wainman – Positive Futures; Martin Kearns – Calderdale Council; Emily Addison – St Augustines; Lucy Daniels – Cloud youth group; Kate Heald, Chloe Bowers & Alice Lilley – Open Minds; Stephen Bedeau – Newground; Tara Guha, Kate Edwards & Alex Abel – Time Out.
Apologies: Josie McNamara – Northern Powerhouse; Jo Marshall – Open Minds; Kirsty Longbottom – Open Minds; Vicki Berry – Cricket Asylum; Adele Goodall – WomenCentre; Katie Kinsella – ROKT Foundation; Jon Chilvers – Mythomroyd Community Centre; Arlie Haslam – Leeds Mind; Jude Wadley – Handmade Parade; Tom Kendall – Orange Box; Sam Clarkson – Kooth; Sammi Lukic-Scott – Artworks; Sam McCormick – Curious Motion; Rebekah Fozard – Hebden Bridge Arts Festival.
Time Out update
- Holiday activities are gaining momentum, due in part to some fantastic partnerships with the library and Hebden Bridge Arts Festival. Young people tell us that they are enjoying making new friends, and several have become regulars – not only because they enjoy the activities, but to stay in touch with new, out-of-school friends. Time Our holiday activities will take place largely from August 8th – 20th, with one longer creative outdoors project running until early September. Please let us know if you would like to run something with us in the future.
- School work is busy, with lots of demand for our Kindness, Friendship & Social Media workshop. We run a variety of FREE, bespoke workshops in schools/support organisations for Year 5 upward, all coproduced and co-delivered with volunteers. We have recently co-produced new workshops around resilience, sleep and self-esteem. We can also run free six week creative wellbeing courses for smaller groups.
- We are always looking for new volunteers aged 18+, and are also developing a programme for younger volunteers with Calderdale College.
- Healthy Minds’ Safespace project is now available for ages 16+, providing evening and weekend support (phone calls, with some face-to-face appointments) for people in distress. See www.healthymindscalderdale.co.uk/safespace for more details.
Main discussion – young people and loneliness
Tara provided some background:
- Nearly nine in ten (88%) Britons aged from 18 to 24 said they experience loneliness to some degree with a quarter (24%) suffering often and 7% saying they are lonely all of the time.
- In comparison, 70% of those aged over 55 also say they can be lonely to some extent, however, only 7% are lonely often and just 2% say they are lonely all the time5. (You Gov, 2019)
Similarly, results of a survey circulated in 2018 found that:
- 40% of respondents aged 16-24 reported feeling lonely often or very often, while only 29% of people aged 65-74 and 27% of people aged over 75 said the same6. (Radio 4 survey, 2018).
From this we can see that 18-24 year olds seem to be the UK’s loneliest group, and that loneliness is by no means just a problem for older people. We discussed the stigma around loneliness (and particularly loneliness in young people), including the impact of social media and effect of Covid. Young people need a sense of belonging, to find their tribe, and those with additional needs, home-schooled, or in a transition stage may find that even more difficult.
Several projects round the table offer young people the chance to try activities, develop interests and meet new people. Positive Futures meet a young person for a walk and talk first before the activity, which is really helpful, and something perhaps for other providers to consider.
Partner updates
Cloud youth group, Hebden Bridge
- A safe space for young people (11-18 years) every Wednesday from 3:30-7:00pm. We provide free healthy food and inclusive & creative activities; from art session, open mic shows, drama/movement workshops, sports and YP lead discussions on weekly topics.
- We are currently in talks with Invictus to start a peer mentoring evening that would be led by the YP and supported by youth workers.
- We are also looking to start a LGBTQI + evening which we think will run one evening a month.
- We run regular activity days during half terms and forest schools.
Invictus
BREW- 3 month wait currently
COPE - free bereavement groups for 12 yrs + in schools and community groups
Try High- Halifax Panthers and Calder squash collaboration - 4hrs activity programme across the summer 10-2pm - hot meal, art, sport and psycho education
HOT- Outback project- BAME families and IOU theatre
Invictus school offer- paid for service- 1-2-1 and groups ( approx 6 x weeks)
Woolshops- charity of the year - fundraising in Halifax
Transition Support Service
- We are now fully staffed with 3 wellbeing practitioners and one therapeutic practitioner.
- Any service can make a referral on our Invictus Wellbeing website under Transition Support Service (TSS). We also accept self referrals.
- We are currently developing workshops and activities (more information soon).
- We have developed a 4 week programme with ROKT for our TSS clients.
Positive Futures
A wide range of activities through the summer for young people who have been referred via Branching Out (largely around substance misuse issues, but not always). Keen to do partnership work.
Newground
They engage young people over a period of 6-12 weeks, including 1:1 work, and help yp to develop an interest in something. Time Out recently delivered a male mental health workshop to one of the boys’ groups.
Northpoint
Referrals into Open Minds CAHMS are at a record level – 400 referrals last month. The neurodiversity pathway is changing, so that parents are sent the questionnaires immediately, which should help a little. Silvercloud CBT and parental programmes are also available. Kate is offering parent workshops, which are open access, as well as a ten week parents’ course ‘Timid to Tiger.’
Alice’s role will be changing from September, but she will continue to go into schools and also deliver parents’ workshops via schools.
Libraries
Gillian reported that fewer people are using libraries face to face. A board games collection in Halifax library has been popular. They are looking for homes for local book collections. They are doing partnership work with Time Out, Northern Broadsides and Cromwell Bottom. They also run a volunteer programme for 12-18 year olds, where young people help with activities.
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