London,
18
December
2017
|
11:45
Europe/London

Charities collaborate for new mental health project supporting young people in Harrow

A Harrow charity has received a cash boost from a London funder to support young people with mental health problems through a new, innovative partnership programme.

City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, has given £292,300 to local charity Mind in Harrow.

The charity will use the funding to set up and run the Harrow HeadsUp project. The initiative is a partnership project working with specialist mental health service providers which will offer a range of support services to young people across Harrow.

Five charities will be involved in the initiative, with Mind in Harrow leading on the project. Other charities involved include Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre, Centre for ADHD and Autism Support, Paiwand and Young Harrow Foundation.

The programme will provide specialist mental health support services to over 3,000 young people across Harrow over three years. Services include early intervention support, professional psychotherapy sessions, counselling sessions, specialist support for young refugees and asylum seekers and counselling sessions for young people with ADHD or autism.

Mind in Harrow works with around 7,500 people across Harrow with mental ill-health and those suffering with depression, anxiety or bi-polar disorder. The charity believes the need for mental health support for young people in Harrow is currently oversubscribed.

Alison Gowman, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust Committee, commented:

“This charity has a long history of providing excellent support services to young people in Harrow.

“This programme will provide an innovative approach to supporting young people across the borough, with organisations working together to provide the best possible services to residents.

“City Bridge Trust is committed to making the capital a better place to live, for all Londoners.”

Mark Gillham, Chief Executive of Mind in Harrow added:

“The Mind network has trialled this programme with 16,000 pupils across London, which was evaluated by Goldsmiths College and found to achieve significant benefit.

“There is growing national recognition that the mental health needs of young people have been neglected in this country for far too long and early support can help prevent problems arising in adult life. HeadsUp aims to be at the forefront of this positive change in Harrow.

“We are really excited that we can make this project a reality after over a year of planning and development."

City Bridge Trust is London’s biggest independent grant giver, making grants of £20 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital. The Trust has awarded around 7,700 grants totalling over £370 million since it first began in 1995. It helps achieve the Corporation’s aim of changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners

ENDS

Media Enquiries

Kristina Drake

Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk

07710860884 / 020 7332 1125