Help us raise funds to support young minds
2020 has hit our young people hard. It’s one of the most challenging years ever, with no sign of letting up. So we’re taking urgent action to help plug the gap in mental health support for them, by raising vital funds to provide 11 – 18 year olds in East Kent free counselling.
We’re launching Soundcheck – our fundraiser to help level the score for young minds.
The Need
Young people are facing the biggest mental health challenge of their lives with access to socialising, support networks, education and employment cut-off and minimised due to lockdown, social distancing and further social restrictions as COVID-19 continues to impact society, with no let up in sight. In a recent survey, Young Minds reported that 80% of young people in the UK agreed that the pandemic had made their mental health worse, with 87% stating that they felt lonely or isolated and 31% saying they were no longer able to access support but needed it.
In the last six months, we have experienced first-hand an upsurge in the number of young people we work with reporting issues with their mental health, evidenced by an increase of 200% in referrals for pastoral support during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Which is why we are acting urgently to ensure that no young person in Thanet, Dover and their surrounding districts, which has some of the most deprived wards in the country, is left behind.
The Idea
Working with talented local artists Paul Camo and Rob Flowers, we have created three exclusive, limited edition T-shirts in a bid to simultaneously raise vital donations and awareness, coinciding with World Mental Health Awareness Day (10 October) and Black History Month.
Aiming to raise at least £5,000, donations and all profits from the sale of the T shirts will go towards providing:
1.Professional counselling for 11 – 18 year olds associated with the charity, equivalent to giving 15 young people access to six sessions with a qualified counsellor who specialises in treating adolescents, and 35 young people access to a one-off session. Counselling services will encompass those who are navigating their cultural heritage and who have been victims of racism.
2.Creative intervention sessions that give 8 – 18 year olds a unique opportunity to work with a creative practitioner such as a musician or artist, spending studio time together and creating music, which will help towards alleviating some of their symptoms as well as develop employable skills.
Paul Camo’s slogan tee references protest T shirts and placards, taking cues from the past to inspire action now as the fight for racial justice continues. The font is a unique typeface inspired by signs from a 1963 protest march, adapted from an old badge which states ‘STOP RACIST ATTACKS’.
Rob Flowers has created a vibrant visual expression of the words and objects Pie Factory’s young people use to define the charity and its work.
The Ask
Now, we are calling on you, our community to ensure that every young mind matters by donating to the fundraiser. Every donation will help us bridge the gap in services in East Kent, enabling young people to improve their mental wellbeing and helping to give them a greater chance to thrive in this most challenging of times.
Activate your support > buy a T-shirt for £20 before 24 November > www.crowdfunder.co.uk/soundcheck
Please help spread the word to help us raise the volume for young people.
Thank you!