We aim to support groups, schools and clinicians who work with children who use the Plymouth Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), by giving grants of up to £300 for resources and equipment. We try to raise awareness of some of the range of issues that children experience including anxiety, depression, self harming , eating disorders, ADHD and Autism by attending local events. We are very proud of the family club that we run once a fortnight which we call BUD Club. Families who attend CAMHS but who continue to experience difficulties, can come along and just do simple "stuff" together (cooking, art, sport, sensory room) in a relaxed, non judgemental environment. Everything is run by volunteers apart from paying for some specialist activities such as yoga and woodland craft.
Why the community needs usWe know that families in Plymouth benefit from Give a Child a Chance in a number of ways. The families who come to BUD club enjoy being relaxed and supported by volunteers and other families to exchange information and to get involved in doing things together. We're particularly pleased that so many dads attend and seem to enjoy the atmosphere. Schools, clubs, groups and clinicians also benefit by being able to talk about children's mental health and from being able to buy specialist resources.
Our impact on the communityWe believe that often small interventions can make a big difference. We can't help everyone but we can make a significant difference to some families who have a child with emotional, behavioural or mental health issues. Over the last year we've had 60 families coming to BUD club at various times which, together with grants given to 8 local schools and further money given to CAMHS clinicians, seems to significantly improve family life.
