The past few months of training, wedding preparations and work have been challenging but amazing. We’ve had so many good news stories at YCT, received so much support for my participation in Velo Birmingham & Midlands and completed the vast majority of preparations for the wedding!
With only 24 days until the wedding and 17 days to go until Velo Birmingham & Midlands, we are well and truly on the home straight now. The wedding is seemingly under control and, bar the odd injury here and there, preparations for the bike ride are running smoothly. I’m actually starting to look forward to what promises to be an excellent day of cycling. And the positivity doesn’t stop there! Not only have we achieved our fundraising target we have completely smashed it. As I write this post, we have raised £130 more than our target and we’re still receiving donations. The support and generosity has been truly overwhelming, for which all of us at YCT are incredibly grateful.
In light of this achievement, rather than focusing on training or wedding preparation, I wanted to give you a bit more of an idea why I support and work for YCT and why we do the work we do.
Not a day goes by where we don’t hear another mental health related story in the press. It might be stories of an underfunded NHS, celebrities struggling with their own mental health, or anxieties from the increasing pressures placed on both teachers and pupils at schools. It’s a hard topic to avoid.
Sadly more of these stories seem to be about suicide. You only have to look back at the past 12 months to see a number of high profile suicides reported; Avicii, Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, Verne Troyer, Mike Thalassistis and Keith Flint to name a few. These are just a few of the big names reported in the media, but there are thousands of people taking their own life in the UK and Republic of Ireland every year. In 2017 alone there were 6,213 suicides in the UK and Republic of Ireland. We can help change statistics like these for the better though.
Mental health issues are common, something backed up with good statistical evidence:
· Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem every year
· Approximately 3 children in every school class will have a diagnosable mental health condition
· 75% of those with a mental health condition start developing it before the age of 18
· 50% of these problems diagnosable by the age of 14
· 70 million work days are lost each year in the UK because of poor mental health
· All age mental health problems are estimated to cost the UK economy £105 billion every year
Whether it’s directly in our own personal struggles with mental health, or indirectly in having a loved one struggle with their mental health, most of us will be affected by mental health at some point in our life. I know I can safely say it has impacted me on both fronts. Despite this, and all the excellent work being done by so many people to support those struggling with mental health, there is still a stigma attached to mental health – another thing that we can help to change.
We can all play a part in reducing the stigma that surrounds mental health. I wrote previously about considering the language we use and how we talk about mental health, which is an important part of this. Another aspect of this is in normalising conversations around mental health. Like physical health, we all have mental health. When we struggle with our physical health we don’t hold back from talking to a friend or seeking professional advice, yet we do with mental health.
We need to let people know that it’s OK to not be OK and it’s OK to ask for help. Asking for help can be a hard thing to do, so it’s important that we make it as easy as possible for people to do this. And when they do step forward, it’s vital that we have the people, the networks and the services available to give them the support they need in a timely manner.
I, and I’m sure most of my colleagues working in the field of mental health, will tell you that the earlier we can provide support for people struggling with their mental health the better. Just look at that statistic I mentioned before – 75% of those with a mental health condition start developing it before the age of 18. There’s a huge opportunity here to support people with their mental health at an early stage before the problems become worse. Despite this, it is estimated that 7 in 10 young people with a mental health problem haven't had sufficient help at an early age. And with less than 1% of the total NHS budget spent on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and only 8.7% of the total mental health budget spent on under-18s, it’s hard to argue that there is adequate resource being put in to preventative and early intervention services, giving them the capacity needed to be able to support all those young people in need of help.
This is where YCT and the numerous charity and voluntary organisations like us can help. YCT supports children and young people with their mental health and emotional wellbeing. As a charity, we direct our resources towards providing free access to mental health support for children and young people. We provide a safe space for them to take the lead on their problems and to work through the issues they are facing on a day to day basis. We help provide them with the best possible opportunity to thrive.
I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you to know that there is a cost attached to the delivery of these services however. Accessing mental health services is already hard enough, so try to reduce the barriers to accessing services. As such, we will never pass that cost on to the young people we work with. Instead we are reliant on grant funding and support from the public that allow us to provide free to access services.
It can be a frantic and, at times, uneasy life working in the charity sector. Demand almost always outweighs capacity and you’ve always got one eye on where the next pot of funding will come from. That’s why I like taking part in events like Velo Brimingham & Midlands. For me, it’s not as painful as writing grant funding applications (in some ways!), but it’s feels far more challenging than holding out a YCT branded tin and just asking for your money. It feels like I am doing something to earn the support while also offering a great opportunity to raise awareness of YCT and the mental health and emotional wellbeing support we provide.
I’d be lying if I said that this was a completely selfless act. I love cycling, so this gives me another excuse to get out on the bike. I know the value of exercise in maintaining good mental health and cycling helps me achieve this. And like most people, I like to at least attempt to stay in shape (although I don’t always do a good job of that!) and cycling helps with that too.
So there it is. A very quick insight in to why I’m doing this, why I choose to support YCT and how important your donations and support are.
With the wedding on the horizon, I thought I’d finish this post with a toast. Here’s to you. Our supporters, our funders, our staff, our workers, our volunteers. To everyone who keeps on helping the YCT machine forge on and improve the lives of children and young people. In those few moments you took to share a post, to make a donation, or to volunteer your time, you may not have realised quite the impact you were making. Your support might just save a life.
If you want to support YCT, please head to www.virginmoneygiving.com/nickphipps3
To learn more about YCT, please head to www.yctsupport.com