Help us to show young people that we care

CREATE Paisley works with young people throughout Renfrewshire to support good mental health through creativity. Over the last 11 years, we have supported thousands of young people through community based youth work and creative programmes. We work alongside young people to help them recognise and build on their strengths and potential. Through a mix of creative workshops and drop in sessions we support young people to develop skills, support networks and strength to succeed and fulfil their ambitions.

For many young people, 2020 has been a tough year with school closures and the loss of face to face interactions having a negative effect on children and young people’s mental health with many feeling sidelined and forgotten by those around them.

Since the start of lockdown we have encountered more and more children and young people who are struggling with isolation, anxiety, depression and who don’t feel like they have anyone they can turn to. A recent study found that 1 in 15 teenagers attempting to take their own lives in the last 12 months with a quarter of young people self harming. We support children and young people by giving them creative ways to express themselves and trusted and trained youth work professionals  to talk to. For many young people, like Chloe, who you can read about below, we simply let them know that they are not alone.

No child or young person should ever feel they are facing the world alone but this is especially true over Christmas. This Christmas we want to send a Christmas Care Box to every young person who we support in Renfrewshire. This parcel is filled with activities and treats for the young person and will help them to know that they are not alone and that there are people in their communities that care about them. We also want to provide them all with a space to check in with our youth work team and make their voices heard but we cannot do this without your help.

Can you help show a young person in Renfrewshire that we all care about them? A donation of just £25 could pay for a Christmas Care Box and a one hour check in with a youth worker for a young person who is having a tough time this Christmas, giving them both a gift and some much needed support.

On behalf of the young people we support thank you and Merry Christmas

Brid Gallagher

Youth Development Worker