Charity The Junction helps to support young people aged 12 to 21 with their wellbeing and health. Since it was set up on 17 January 2005 it has helped more than 2,800 young people in north east Edinburgh.
Cara Spence Director of The Junction said: “Today marks the beginning of The Junction’s birthday year. We will be taking time to celebrate, reflect on the progress, and consider the challenges ahead. We are seeing increasing numbers of young people need our support. This is not surprising as younger people are most likely to report that they have a mental health condition than any other age group in Scotland and there are extremely long waiting lists at CAMHS (NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).
“In terms of the level of support needed, it is clear that we are experiencing a mental health crisis among young people. However, at the same time, we are facing a challenging financial picture, including cuts in local authority funding.The Junction has made significant achievements over the past 20 years, and I would personally like to thank all the young people, volunteers (both past and present), partners and of course our funders who have supported us.”
Trainspotting author, Irvine Welsh has been the Charity’s Patron since 2012. He remains a strong advocate for The Junction and said: “The Junction is a great charity that deserves to be supported because it does something magnificent for the young people of the area. As the challenges for youth intensify in areas of employment, finances and mental health, it’s more crucial than ever that they have properly resourced support. Young people in Edinburgh need support ‘now more than ever’. Their role is absolutely essential. I’m so privileged to be a patron.”
Despite pressures on budgets, The Junction is planning on delivering events throughout the year starting with a celebration for young people today, 17 January. They also plan to launch a new a strategy and to develop a new website to ensure young people can easily access services.
The Junction was established on the 17th of January 2005 and supports young people’s health and wellbeing. Last year they worked with more than 2,800 young people. Key services include one-to-one support with youth workers, qualified counsellors, or counsellors in training, as well as specialist one-to-one support for young people impacted by substance use. They also provide drop-in sessions where young people can receive support and group work, without the need for an appointment.
www.The-Junction.org
https://checkout.justgiving.com/tuxp9jwinh
Author Irvine Welsh is a big supporter of the charity
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
Like this:
Like Loading…