“It’s about embedding mental health support within your day to day activities and moving mental health out of specialist silos, and into things that you do every day”
BS14 Youth Club in Stockwood has launched a new bike maintenance programme, in partnership with Life Cycle UK and Off The Record (Bristol).
“We’re offering a ‘mental health’ intervention in a young peoples’ community setting, but also reframing what a mental health intervention can look like,” says Tom Antebi, Off The Record’s Sports Works Co-ordinator.
“It allows young people to socialise and reconnect with peers and their community via an activity that is meaningful and relevant for them, after a year of reduced or no social contact.”
The project also hopes to mitigate anti-social behaviour, with Tom Stockley, Lead Youth Worker at BS14 Youth Club, saying: “There’s lots of evidence that shows this is strongly linked to funding cuts (in youth and public services), lack of opportunities and general wellbeing and self-esteem.
The long-term aim is to set up a permanent bike workshop at the club and change perceptions in the community of young people riding bikes – and for the young people to teach staff how to do wheelies.”
The programme was featured this week by BBC West, BBC Radio Bristol (23:15), and Bristol 24/7. We would like to thank the local medias for their support in raising awareness of this partnership project, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
You can find the new partnership programme at BS14 Youth Club every Friday, 19:00 – 20:30 at Stockwood Lane, Stockwood, BS14 8SJ.
