Aylesbury drop-in centre says ‘we are here’ as it continues to support vulnerable young people despite the lockdown

A community youth drop-in centre in Aylesbury is turning to technology to ensure vulnerable young people in the town can still access counselling, support and music therapy sessions, despite currently being closed due to coronavirus.

Youth Concern, which has been providing help and support to disadvantaged young people in the community for over 40 years, is now offering a phone triage service. This means any vulnerable person between the ages of 13-25 years old can get in touch with a member of the team without needing to meet face-to-face.

The centre’s dedicated team of youth workers and counsellors are offering one-to-one sessions via platforms such as WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom, and are still able to provide guidance on issues including emergency accommodation, education, employment and addiction.

Youth Concern is supported by a £310k grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. It is one of thousands of National Lottery funded projects that are stepping up and finding innovative ways to keep their communities connected and to reach those who need the most help in these difficult times.

The organisation has also moved its music creation and production workshops online. Young people who would normally attend music sessions in person are being offered online guidance and support on how to record music at home, as well as production techniques and which software and apps to use. Musical projects are then uploaded to an online space and worked on collaboratively, offering a virtual therapeutic and creative environment.

Youth Concern is also looking to identify further ways to provide support remotely, with podcasts, cooking videos and live streaming videos being considered to ensure all young people needing support are reached.

Hannah Asquith, CEO of Youth Concern, said: “Self-isolating is hard enough for those of us with warm homes and stable relationships. For teenagers and young adults with insecure accommodation and challenging relationships, and whose daily routines have changed beyond all recognition, we are here. Technology has enabled Youth Concern to throw its virtual doors wide open.

“With the backing of The National Lottery Community Fund and other donors, our charity is using this time to explore new ways of offering support, and to reach out to other organisations locally to ensure we’re all pulling together in the best interests of vulnerable 13-25 year olds in Aylesbury Vale”.

Helen Bushell, Head of Regional Funding at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “In these difficult times it’s heartening to see the way communities are coming together to provide support where it is needed. The charities and voluntary sector organisations we fund, like Youth Concern, are playing a vital role in their community. We are incredibly grateful for their efforts and are doing everything we can to make it easy for them to adapt to the unprecedented times we are all finding ourselves in.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Last year it awarded £1.4 million a day on average to projects that help people and communities thrive. 90% of the grants it makes are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk