Useful Links

Below are some links to information and resources about a variety of things young people come to us with, and the places where you can access urgent support.

Urgent Support

Young Minds – Free 24/7 crisis messenger – Text YM to 85258

Childline – One-to-one online chat with a counsellor, visit the Childline website.

The Mix (for under 25s) – Free phone line open between 4 and 11pm – 08088084994
24/7 crisis messenger – Text THEMIX to 85258

Papyrus (Suicidal thoughts) – Call 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or visit their website to see loads of resources and things to try.

Samaritans – 24/7 phone line (116 123) or email Jo.

CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably – Helpline open 5pm – midnight – 0800585858. Webchat available 5pm – midnight.

Shout – Free (on all major mobile networks), 24/7 crisis text service- Text SHOUT to 85258

Other Support and Resources

The Letter Your Teenager Can’t Write You

In 2015, Gretchen Schmelzer wrote the powerful letter ‘The Letter Your Teenager Can’t Write You’. This incredibly eye-opening and moving letter is a must read no matter who you are – whether that be a young person, parent, or teacher!

Gretchen explores the emotions and reasons behind the tumultuous times and the multiple fights many young people have with their care giver/s in the hopes of making both young people and parents feel less alone during the turmoil of teenagehood.

Looking For Direction -A website designed by local young people, for local young people 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.

Other Local Counselling and Mental Health Support Services

ARC – offer up to 6 free counselling sessions to young people from 11 years old and over in Wokingham

Time2Talk West Berkshire – providing free confidential counselling services to young people in need, aged 11 to 25, in West Berkshire

Youthline – free, confidential counselling service for young people attending secondary school, and adults who care for and support young people in Bracknell Forest and surrounding areas

Hub of Hope – free online hub that can help you find support for your mental health local to you

What’s on in the Community! – Support and opportunities from our partners in the community

Tellmi – available to all 11-17-year-olds  living and studying in Reading, West Berkshire, and Wokingham. Accessible via a native app or a web platform, Tellmi provides 365-day access to an age-banded, anonymous space where young people can discuss their feelings and seek support. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

ADHD

Stories That Never Stand Still  – created by people with ADHD for people with ADHD, Stories That Never Stand Still is a collection of real-life stories and expert insights charting the exceptional experiences of people with ADHD

Anger

British Association of Anger Management – support and training around the issue of anger

Young Minds – information and help for understanding and managing anger

Anxiety

Anxiety Alliance – Charity run by anxiety sufferers for anxiety sufferers

Anxiety UK – support, help and information for those with anxiety disorders

No Panic – offers general and youth helplines support for those with anxiety disorders and step-by-step programmes

Black Minds Matter

https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/resources – resources and support for mental health tailored to black individuals and their families

Bayo

https://bayo.ubele.org/ – providing information about initiatives, communities and mental health services created by and for the Black community – all in one place

Bereavement

Child Bereavement UK – supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement

Cruse Bereavement Care – offering support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people

Daisy’s Dream – local support service which responds to the needs of children and families affected by life threatening illness or bereavement, across Berkshire and the surrounding areas

Winston’s Wish – supporting children, young people and their families after the death of a parent or sibling

BSL

Sign Health – provides free Psychological Therapy in British Sign Language for young people aged 18+. They also offer a crisis helpline for people who are deaf – Text DEAF to 85258  

Bullying/Cyber bullying

Bullies Out – deliver workshops, peer mentor training and awareness raising about bullying across the UK

Bullying UK – helpline, advice and tips for coping with bullying

Kidscape – is a UK Charity, established specifically to a help young people address bullying

Cybersmile – committed to tackling all forms of digital abuse and bullying online

CEOP – reporting online sexual abuse or inappropriate behaviour online

Ditch the Label – anti-bullying charity supporting 12-25 year olds through support mentors, resources and reporting of online abuse

Careers Advice and Support

Adviza – provides you with access to high quality careers information to help you to make informed decisions about your future

National Careers Service – providing phone and online advice to young people and adults

NCS – National Citizen Service branch, covering Berkshire and beyond

Starting Point (Reading) – providing support for young people aged 16 – 25 who are not in education, employment or training, through mentoring and work experience

Youth Employment UK – national organisation providing skills training, cv writing advice, and general employment help and signposting

Carers Support

Carers Trust  – includes a supportive, online community forum

TuVida – provides support for carers in Berkshire

The Share Foundation – help with locating your Child Trust Fund Account

Crime

Fearless – Fearless (part of Crimestoppers)  is a service that allows you to pass on information about crime 100% anonymously and also provides an A-Z list of what counts as a crime

Debt and Money Advice

Citizen’s Advice Bureau – Reading branch helping people resolve their money, housing, employment, immigration issues and a range of other problems

RIFT Group – guides to Tax Debt and Mental Health.

Stepchange – are a charity offering expert, tailored advice and practical solutions to problem debt

Depression

Mind – national charity supporting people of all ages with mental health problems

Young Minds – specific information for young people who are feeling depressed

Domestic Abuse

The Hideout – support and advice for children and young people affected by domestic abuse

Refuge – national charity supporting women, young women and girls to escape the cycle of domestic abuse and recognise warning signs

Respect – working with domestic violence perpetrators as well as male victims of domestic abuse

NSPCC – national children’s charity working for the safety of all children and young victims of child abuse and domestic abuse. Includes the NSPCC helpline and ChildLine (0800 1111)

Drug and Alcohol Support

Alcoholics Anonymous – helping with recovery from alcoholism

Narcotics Anonymous – helping with recovery from addiction

Talk to Frank – national drugs helpline

Rehab 4 Addiction – drug rehab and alcohol rehab treatment

Eating Disorders

Anorexia and Bulimia Care – personal advice and support to anyone affected by anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and all kinds of eating distress

Beat – provides helplines, online support and a network of UK-wide self-help groups to help young people and adults in the UK beat their eating disorders

Beat Leaflet – a useful leaflet to take to a GP

Overeaters Anonymous – a fellowship of individuals who are recovering from compulsive overeating

Gambling

BigDeal – BigDeal is a place for young people to find information and support related to gambling, either for themselves or someone they care about. Chatline (Monday to Thursday 9am-8pm, Friday 9am-5pm) 0203 092 6964 and 24 hour online chat support

Health

Text a School Nurse – You can text an NHS Berkshire Healthcare School Nurse for confidential advice and support if you are aged 11-19. Text 0731 2263 266

LGBT+

The Albert Kennedy Trust – supports young LGBT 16-25 year olds who are made homeless or living in a hostile environment

Stonewall – national charity supporting the rights of the LGBT community in the UK through campaigning, lobbying and training

Switchboard -confidential support via online chat, email, or call their helpline 0300 330 063 (open 10am-10pm, 7 days a week)

Support U – dedicated support team based in Reading, providing resources for LGBTQ communities. Help with homelessness, sexual health, employment and counselling

Hidayah LGBT+ – providing support, education and welfare for the Muslim LGBTQ+ community

Diverse Church – a charity offering advice and support for LGBTQ+ Christians

Sarbat – an organisation for LGBTQ+ Sikhs

KeshetUK – support and advice for LGBTQ+ Jews and Jewish community

Gaysians – support and resources for the South Asian LGBTQ+ community

House of Rainbow – fosters relationships among Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic LGBTQ+ people of faith

Roundabout UK – aims to reduce loneliness and isolation in the LGBTQ+ community through its location-based app looking at showing friendly organisations. This includes any org that supports the LGBTQ+ community not just LGBTQ+ focused orgs like prides but many other services such as sports teams, artists, performers and much more!

Deaf Rainbows – provides information and resources for Deaf LGBTIQA+ people

The Proud Trust – provides information, resources and support to young people and their parents and carers across the UK

Quest – support for LGBT+ Catholics in the UK

Online support and counselling

Muslim Youth Helpline –faith and culturally sensitive, non-judgemental, confidential support 7 days a week, 365 days a year including bank holidays and Eid by phone, live chat, WhatsApp or email

Best For You – NHS created website signposting to apps to help you with your mental health. This includes sleep, mindfulness, low mood, anxiety, and more!

Parent support and advice

Parent Wise – created by The Home Office and provides signposting and resources to help parents understand and support their young people

Parent Zone – on online parent community and blog providing resources and learning about online safety

Rape and Sexual Abuse

Rape Crisis – national helpline with specialist support for rape and sexual abuse

The Survivors Trust – a national umbrella agency for over 130 specialist rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse support organisations throughout the UK and Ireland

Trust House Reading – provide specialist support services to women, men and children living in Berkshire who have been affected by rape and sexual assault in Reading

Revenge Porn Helpline – a UK service supporting adults (aged 18+) who are experiencing intimate image abuse, also known as, revenge porn

Refugee Support

Refugee Youth Service – supports displaced unaccompanied children and young people to re-start and rebuild their lives where they are, or safely and legally reach an alternative destination that is in their better interests.

Refugee Support Group Berkshire – helps refugees and asylum seekers to rebuild their lives in Berkshire. They run English classes and assist with accessing education, volunteering and employment and empower the community to access their rights, signpost to specialised services, and campaign and raise awareness of issues refugees face.

Self-harm

Harmless – provides a range of services about self-harm including support, information, training and consultancy

Self Injury Support – support for girls and young women who self-injure, including text, email and helpline support
The Mix Self Harm help – recovery, advice and support

National Self-Harm Network – offering online forum support, advice and advocacy services to people affected by self-harm

Alumina – a free, online 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm

Calm Harm – a free award-winning app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 with young people. The Calm Harm app provides some immediate activities and techniques and the app is private, anonymous, and safe. For ages 13 and up.

Ripple– R;pple is an interceptive tool designed to present a visual prompt to redirect the user when a person searches for harmful keywords or phrases relating to the topic of self-harm or suicide. These phrases include any words or terminology which have been identified as displaying potentially damaging online content.

Sleep

Teen Sleep Hub –  advice on how to sleep better,  tips on tweaking your routine and education of the science behind your sleep patterns.

Beauty of Sleep (Self Care Sheet) – written by a No5 counsellor to help you understand the impact and benefits of sleep.

Settle Your Mind for a Good Nights Sleep (Self Care Sheet) – written by a No5 counsellor to help you get the most out of your sleep.

Social Media and the Online World

Cybersmile – committed to tackling all forms of digital abuse and bullying online

CEOP – reporting online sexual abuse or inappropriate behaviour online

Ditch the Label – anti-bullying charity supporting 12-25 year olds through support mentors, resources and reporting of online abuse

Social Media Checklists – SWGfl have created free social media checklists to help you check you settings to help you be safe online and signposting on where to report and block people/content.

Ripple– R;pple is an interceptive tool designed to present a visual prompt to redirect the user when a person searches for harmful keywords or phrases relating to the topic of self-harm or suicide. These phrases include any words or terminology which have been identified as displaying potentially damaging online content.