HUNDREDS of youngsters who are suffering with their mental health will be helped after a Barnsley support service pocketed a six-figure government grant.
Run by charity Chilypep, ‘HOME’ (Helping Our Mental ‘Ealth) predominantly helps people from the age of 11 into their teenage years.
The group pocketed £226,300 in government funding which will go towards solving a range of issues such as exam worries, financial difficulties, jobs and relationships, helping to prevent more severe mental illness without the need for a referral or a medical appointment.
Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis welcomed the news and told the Chronicle it will transform in-need youngsters’ lives.
“Too many children in our borough and across our country are waiting too long to access mental health support,” he said.
“We need to invest in our child and adolescent mental health services so they can provide vital care and support.
“It’s great to see that the Labour government is giving mental health the focus and funding it deserves.
“I encourage anyone aged between 11 and 25 who is struggling with their mental health to get in touch with HOME.
“Expanding community mental health support will complement wider reforms to make the NHS fit for the future and break down barriers to opportunity for young people.”
The cash will enable leaders to deliver many more intervention groups over the next 12 months.
The learning from these, according to the MP, will inform the government’s ambitions for community mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people.
According to NHS figures, more than 3,000 youngsters in Barnsley sought help for mental health-related issues last year.
Nationally, 710,000 children accessed mental health support the highest observed figure since comparable records began in March 2021.
Dan added: “As a dad I empathise with those young people, and their parents, who are struggling in the face of extreme pressure both in school and from wider society and who do not have the necessary support structures in place.
“We’ve heard a lot about ensuring parity of esteem between physical and mental health within society and within the NHS.
“It wouldn’t be acceptable for a patient to be left waiting months and, in some cases, years for treatment for a physical health condition, so why should that be the case for mental health assessments?
“The statistics around young people’s mental health are harrowing.
“Ten per cent of Barnsley children aged five to 16 have a clinically significant mental health issue, with 50 per cent of lifelong mental health issues starting before the age of 14.
“Over three-quarters of young people in Barnsley have felt stressed or anxious in the last 12 months.
“That means there is an urgent need to ensure that education provision and mental health services are seamlessly integrated.
“Early support hubs like HOME provide young people with expert mental health support in a welcoming environment without the need to join a waiting list.”
