We hear every day about the difficulties children and young people are having these days, and there are many organisations trying to help.
Unique Opportunities in Our Hubs
The PHA has a unique opportunity to offer something different in our Hubs, in that we can incorporate a variety of healthcare modalities and other skills/activities that young people can learn in order to help themselves, now and in the future. We can also invite in other specialists in a variety of topics to offer interesting things they may not get the opportunity to do elsewhere.
Physical Activities and Skill-Sharing for Stress Relief
To help with stress and anxiety, it’s sometimes a good idea to do something physical with other people. Like for instance in a Hub, there might be Tai Chi for young people, or drumming or gardening together, or a skill-share evening with older members of the community coming in to show how to fix things, make things, and other skill sharing that young people might find useful and interesting.
Creating Safe Spaces for Sharing and Support
It’s important for young people to share their feelings safely and without judgment amongst people they trust. Sharing works well while doing something together, particularly when doing easy crafts or preparing and sharing food or working in the garden. In each Hub, there need to be people who have the skills to facilitate this, and the training in First Assist Being Well can help give Hub members some of the skills in assisting with immediate difficult emotions. There also will be a signposting list for local support networks if they are needed.
Training and Support for Hub Members
Each Hub needs a number of trained First Aiders as well as First Assist Being Well Facilitators. See Helen Gibson and her team for the one nearest you: https://t.me/authenticdiscovery. Also important is mentoring and support for Hub organizers who need to talk to someone after having been dealing with someone in a crisis. Anam Cara provides a fortnightly support call to serve this purpose (free): https://t.me/AnamCaraTransformYourHealth.
June Tranmer and Filip Vervaeke
PHA Children, Teens and Young Adults Group