Our Lord Mayor’s Appeal for the civic year 2016-2017 will be for YoungMinds.
At a time when the nation is moving towards taking mental health as seriously as physical health, Bradford’s population is getting younger. Within the next five years Bradford will find itself with a younger population profile than any other city in Europe. Our local health services recognise that this means that the mental health of children and young people within the District is a clear priority and this must be reflected in the way statutory services design their structures and allocate resources.
The charity YoungMinds exists to ensure that our children and young people - and their parents - are aware of the services on offer and where to find them. YoungMinds also helps them to secure the services required to meet their individual needs. Because young people are involved in developing the work of the charity, it offers a user-friendly style and language that can open up conversations with young people who feel themselves to be in desperate situations, reaching those who might fall through the net of mental healthcare provision.
While the Appeal concentrates on raising funds for the charity, we want to raise the profile of YoungMinds within the Bradford District. This will help Bradford children, young people and their parents to make use of the services YoungMinds has to offer.