In July this year Hitchin Youth Trust and the Rotary Club of Hitchin Tilehouse got together with representatives from Hitchin Primary and Secondary Schools to discuss the support needed for our young people returning to school after lock-down. The plan was to bring together the skills, knowledge and expertise of local organisations to provide the best possible Mental Health and Wellbeing support for the staff and children. Sharing resources and collectively agreeing a way forward seemed the most efficient way to reach as many young people as possible without duplication. Local support organisations and charities were keen to be involved and a group was formed called the Hitchin Mental Health Recovery Team (HMHRT).

We talked to school staff and it has to be said most young people are very resilient and after the initial settling in period adjusted to the new normal within schools. There are a small group who do not adapt well and continue to find things very difficult, as the lockdowns continue this group is increasing in size. This could be because of the following:-

Suffered a bereavement during lockdown possibly directly linked to Covid 19

Anxiety at higher levels to before lockdown due the pandemic

ASD spectrum has been highlighted as having particular difficulty coping with change

Increased number of school refusers due to feeling comfortable at home during lockdown

The school staff provided us with a list of their priorities to enable the best chance of recovery. So we were off we had a plan and we were confident we could deliver the three stages of support that the schools asked for.

We have managed to get some funding from:

Hitchin Youth Trust

Rotary Club if Hitchin Tilehouse

North Herts District Council

Sir Tom Moore - NHS Charities Together Monies for Herts and West Essex

Local County Councillor Judi Billing

Now we need your help we have two more stages to deliver and sadly we all know that the situation has now worsened!

£10 provides a virtual Mindfulness group session for one student over a 6-week course

£20 provides an Art Therapy and Counselling group session for one student over a 9-week course

-or-

£20 provides for a Safe Space for open conversations for students over 9 weeks

£40 provides for 2 teachers or parents/carers boxing and mentoring programme over 6 weeks

£60 provides a virtual mindfulness programme for one young person

£100 provides a physical and mental resilience programme for five teachers / parents /carers

Please help if you can