Together for Teens

Key aims:

Our mission is to empower parents and carers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support their teenagers' mental health while fostering a strong, connected parent community.

Our community spans a wide geographical area, including many rural families with limited access to mental health support, social connection, and resources. We are committed to ensuring that all parents and carers—regardless of location—can access the support they need.

How We Aim to Achieve This:

1. Parent Training Workshops

We will provide expert-led sessions designed to:

• Help parents recognise early warning signs of mental health struggles and suicide risk.

• Guide parents in having open, supportive conversations with their teenagers.

• Equip parents with knowledge of available resources and professional support networks.

By providing parents with the right tools, we aim to strengthen families, ensure young people feel heard, and reduce isolation in times of emotional distress.

To ensure accessibility for all families, our awareness sessions will offer:

• Hybrid access—both in-person and online—to accommodate families in rural locations.

• Recorded sessions and downloadable resources for those unable to attend in real-time.

2. Community Support Network

We are building a strong peer support system for parents, providing:

• A safe, understanding environment where parents can connect, share experiences, and support one another.

• Local meetups in rural areas to reduce travel barriers and increase engagement.

• Partnerships with schools, community hubs, and local venues to create safe spaces for parents to meet, learn, and access resources.

By fostering connection and resilience, we ensure that no parent feels alone in navigating their child’s mental health challenges.

3. Teen Support & Activity-Based Sessions

We recognise that mental health challenges affect all teenagers, but the current situation for teenage boys is particularly concerning and requires urgent attention. Research and experience show that boys often benefit from structured, activity-based interactions in a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment.

To address this need, we are committed to:

• Creating safe spaces where boys can come together, build friendships, and feel supported.

• Providing structured, activity-based sessions that promote mental well-being, resilience, and social connection.

• Listening to our teenagers to understand their needs and shape activities that genuinely support them.

• Working closely with schools, community groups, and mental health professionals to ensure these activities provide meaningful support.

• Raising funds to offer a variety of opportunities, from outdoor pursuits and sports to creative and social sessions.

• Expanding support over time to include teenage girls and ensure inclusive activities for all young people in our community.

By prioritising teenage boys now, we are taking an essential first step toward building a long-term, inclusive, and sustainable support network for all teens in our community.

Future plans:

While our project is primarily focused on supporting parents and teenagers, we recognise that mental health challenges, suicide and berevement impact many individuals across our community. Our initiative is designed to be inclusive and provide support to a broader range of people in the following ways:

Supporting Extended Families: Grandparents, siblings, and other family members often play a vital role in a teenager’s life but may feel uncertain about how to offer support.

We will provide accessible resources and signposting to ensure wider family networks have the information and guidance needed to support a young person’s mental health.

In the future, we will explore expanding support sessions to include extended families.

Connecting with Other Community Groups: We aim to collaborate with existing community organisations, ensuring that those already supporting young people’s well-being—such as sports teams, youth clubs, and faith groups—are equipped with mental health awareness resources and guidance.

This will help embed suicide prevention awareness throughout the wider community.

Providing Information and Awareness for the General Public: Mental health stigma can prevent people from seeking help. Through awareness campaigns, community events, and accessible online resources, we will help destigmatise conversations around mental health and suicide prevention.

These efforts will benefit the wider community by increasing awareness, fostering open conversations, and encouraging early intervention.

Ensuring No One is Left Behind

Our approach is flexible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of our community. By engaging with parents, schools, youth groups, and other local organisations, our project will extend its impact beyond the immediate group of parents and teenage boys, fostering a more supportive and informed community for all.