University News Last updated 11 November
More than 350 school and college pupils have received support thanks to a Birmingham City University (BCU) collaboration to address the alarming number of young people presenting with early intervention support needs for mental health issues.
Partnering with children’s charity Barnardo’s and Our Place Support, a community interest company, BCU is supporting the delivery of two mentoring programmes seeking to offer assistance to children and young people.
In Birmingham, there are 400,000 children and young people under 25 years old.
According to the Birmingham Early Help Strategy 2021-2023, for every 100:
- 1 (4,000) is looked after by Birmingham City Council,
- 7 (28,000) live in a house where an adult experienced domestic abuse in the last year,
- 12 (48,000) have a recognised mental health disorder,
- 19 (76,000) are living in a household where an adult has mental ill-health, drug and alcohol abuse or domestic abuse at an acute level,
- 24 (96,000) will suffer with diagnosable or lower-level adverse mental health,
- 41 (164,000) will grow up in poverty and deprivation.
BCU’s partnership with Barnardo’s and Our Place Support received funding to deliver two mentoring services over three years.
The Early Help Mentoring and Befriending Service, which is funded by Birmingham Children’s Trust, connects agencies that support children, young people, and families at the earliest possible stage to prevent low-level issues from escalating into complex problems.
The Peer Mentoring and Mental Health Champions for Children and Young People service, funded by Birmingham City Council, focuses on LGBT+ young people, those with disabilities, and from Black, Asian, and diverse ethnicities.
A staggering 602 BCU students have expressed their interest in becoming volunteer mentors.
“The project has allowed us to strengthen our partnership work and expand our reach in Birmingham,” says Lucia Puricelli, BCU Senior Programme Manager for Enterprise.
“Our students are supporting young people in need, whilst gaining invaluable experience alongside their studies. I’m excited to see where the project goes next.”
Volunteer mentors have provided a safe space for young people to talk to others of a similar age and background. They have offered support to reduce anxiety, improve motivation, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
“I’ve always been interested in helping people – it’s one of the reasons I study psychology,” said volunteer Sanah Mehmood, a second-year BCU student.
“The gratifying feeling that you get after helping an individual is one unlike any other. You can see how much more confident or happier they become after overcoming their obstacles.”
Volunteer Iram Hussian, a BCU Social Work student, added: “At first, the young person I supported was very quiet. They didn’t communicate much, had poor attendance, and reacted negatively to tough situations.
“Each week, I planned what I want to focus on and asked the mentee, too. They soon became more open and engaged, their attendance increased, and they’ve started using coping mechanisms to manage their anger.”
Barnardo’s Assistant Director of Birmingham Children’s Services, Adam Cooper, said: “Partnering with BCU and Our Place Support means Barnardo’s is able to support even more young people in the region who are struggling with their mental health.
“It is incredible to see so many BCU students become volunteer mentors and to know the positive impact both projects are having on the lives of school and college children in Birmingham.”
BCU students can sign up to become a mentor for these two services on the BCU website.