We are delighted to announce our signposting website, ‘Looking for Direction?’, is officially live for all local young people, and those around them!
The site is designed to help you identify what support and services are available in your local area, matching the results based on age, location and what is going on for you.
Why a Signposting Website?
The idea for this website first came about from focus groups with local young people as part of our Restart Youth! Report. They told us it can be really difficult to find or know the right type of services and support when they are struggling or finding things tough, or when supporting a friend.
After hearing how important this was for young people, we held more focus groups alongside our web developers, Red Balloon, focussed on creating the signposting site. We heard what it was that young people wanted and needed from the site and how they wanted it to be. It became apparent that having the ability to also support a friend through this website was really important, as often young people first share their struggles with a friend who really wants to help but doesn’t know where to go or who can help! This meant it was important that young people can access this resource themselves, without the support of an adult, and provides the opportunity for them to take charge of their own mental health and have the ability and confidence to support their peers.
By Young People for Young People
It was really important to both us and the young people we spoke to that this website was made by young people, for young people, and so the site has been entirely shaped, designed, developed and built by young people from Reading FC Community Trust, along with 3 university interns and one young person on work experience, supported by the team at Red Balloon.
When it came to naming the site, who better to name it then the 4 young people who had been building it? Together they named the site ‘Looking for Direction?’!
Thank You!
We would like to thank everyone who has been involved and supported the development of this signposting site!
Please give the site a go and let us know what you think! And be sure to share it far and wide so as many young people as possible know it is there for them, when they need it.
Get in touch with us by emailing youngambassadors@no5.org.uk!
