WIREDGOV

A community youth drop-in centre in Aylesbury is turning to technology to ensure vulnerable young people in the town can still access counselling, support and music therapy sessions, despite currently being closed due to coronavirus.

Youth Concern, which has been providing help and support to disadvantaged young people in the community for over 40 years, is now offering a phone triage service. This means any vulnerable person between the ages of 13-25 years old can get in touch with a member of the team without needing to meet face-to-face.

The centre’s dedicated team of youth workers and counsellors are offering one-to-one sessions via platforms such as WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom, and are still able to provide guidance on issues including emergency accommodation, education, employment and addiction.

Youth Concern is supported by a £310k grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. It is one of thousands of National Lottery funded projects that are stepping up and finding innovative ways to keep their communities connected and to reach those who need the most help in these difficult times.

The organisation has also moved its music creation and production workshops online. Young people who would normally attend music sessions in person are being offered online guidance and support on how to record music at home, as well as production techniques and which software and apps to use. Musical projects are then uploaded to an online space and worked on collaboratively, offering a virtual therapeutic and creative environment.

Youth Concern is also looking to identify further ways to provide support remotely, with podcasts, cooking videos and live streaming videos being considered to ensure all young people needing support are reached.

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