We are celebrating mental health charities this week for our Charity Tuesday feature, so Right Here Brighton and Hove are in the spotlight. Right Here Brighton and Hove is a partnership between YMCA DownsLink Group and Mind in Brighton and Hove, working with 13-25 year olds in Brighton and Hove. Their work focuses on preventing mental health issues from occurring rather than intervening when they already have. They focus on resilience and wellbeing and building strong foundations so young people can deal with life’s hardships, such as financial difficulties, bereavement and bullying. They are also setting about tackling the stigma towards mental health. The stigma attached to mental health is something those who are suffering from mental health issues have had to face for many years, and the media often portrays mental health in a bad light, meaning many young people are afraid to come forward and ask for help and Right Here Brighton and Hove hope to change that. 
Right Here Brighton and Hove target thirteen groups, of which are seen as more at risk of developing mental health issues such as young parents, homeless young people, young offenders and those part of the LGBTU community. Right Here offer free activities for those aged 18-25 in Brighton and Hove and the Bognor area, and these activities provide young people with the opportunity to develop confidence and resilience. They put on activities such as ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ which is an anger management group, and Dog Walk and Talk which is a counselling and group walk for supporting people experiencing anxiety. They also host workshops that can be held at Secondary schools across the area that focus on exam stress and wellbeing. These workshops are written and held by the young volunteers at Right Here Brighton and Hove. Right Here Brighton and Hove also have their Young Men’s Health Champions, a group for men aged 16-25 who meet up weekly to think up creative ways to get the opinions of other young men in the city and consult with young men to gather their experiences and opinions of the NHS funded services. They also make sure that men’s health issues remain high on all the right agendas across our city.
There are some great volunteering opportunities for young people at Right Here Brighton and Hove. All the volunteers are aged 16-25 and commit to attending weekly team meetings for at least six months. All of the volunteers have an interest in promoting mental health or young men’s health to other young people, professionals and the rest of the community. To find out more about volunteering click here. To find out more about the charity itself, click here.
all images belong to Right Here Brighton and Hove
Holly Martin
