Join our next forum for Mental Health Awareness Month!
Hello everyone, allow us to introduce our new member of the team, Twahida. For those of you who attended the last forum, “Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum!” on 28th April 2022, you’d have met her. If not, join us on the 23rd May 2022 10-11.30am to discuss “Children and Young People’s Mental Health – What more can we do?” and (virtually) meet Twahida.
What are the All Wales Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Engagement Forums?
Our forums involve the team and guest speakers sharing information and their personal thoughts on the topic, alongside our participants. These forums are spaces designed for engaging with the people of Wales, albeit virtually, and to allow the thoughts and concerns of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic population to be shared freely and safely. With this in mind, we invite you all to attend the forum and share your views and experiences. Participants’ contributions are anonymous, and we use these contributions to put together briefings to send to relevant parties and stakeholders within Wales to effect change in policy and practice.
Why now?
As part of Mental Health Awareness month, EYST are dedicating this forum to the safety of children and young people’s mental health. The rise of social media has contributed to the decline of young people’s mental health, and compounded with the new and unexpected toll that the pandemic has had on all of us, we need to make safeguarding young people’s mental health a priority.
However, along with prioritising mental health we must ensure that we create and cultivate an atmosphere where mental health can be discussed openly and honestly, without fear of being disbelieved or being made to feel ashamed of their struggles. As adults, it is our duty to set the example of an honest, nurturing environment where children and young people can discuss their mental health openly with no fear of repercussions. We must also signpost services and organisations that can and want to help, who can offer support and treatment that ordinary people cannot offer. Belittling and ignoring mental health concerns do not erase them; they instead leave young people to struggle, affecting their lives, prospects, and future. In the most serious cases, we lose young people who didn’t get the chance to live their lives to the fullest potential and cause irreparable damage to their families and those who loved them.
Who will be there?
Joining us on the day as key speakers are Lee Tiratira (Youth Team Lead, EYST), June Jones (Time to Change Wales Programme Manager), Siobhan Parry (Platfform, Head of Service - Children and Young People), as well as more guests to be confirmed. For updates, please keep an eye out on our social media:
Twitter: @AllWalesEYST
Instagram: @eyst_wales
Facebook: Ethnic Minorities & Youth Support Team – EYST Wales
Conclusion
We can’t wait to see everyone there; our findings and briefings are only as good as what we learn from our participants. It is for this reason that we invite all in Wales to attend and discuss how we can better protect our young people and learn about services and organisations who can help and have resources the average person doesn’t have access to.
That's all from Hasminder! Please join us on Monday 23rd May 2022 10-11.30am to learn, share and support one another to help raise awareness for mental health.
You can register here to attend the forum.
