Helping young people tackle loneliness
Recent reports confirm that young people are suffering with their mental health more than ever. Building Connections is an online service for young people up to the age of 19, empowering them to find a way through loneliness.
Young people work with a trained befriender, who guides them and champions them each step of the way. Building Connections aims to give young people tools that can help them build their confidence and better equip them to manage loneliness.
There are many reasons a young person may experience loneliness. When you make a referral, the service assesses whether Building Connections provides the support the young person needs.
Types of issues Building Connections can help with:
Transitional periods – such as moving to a new school or area.
Emotional health – including stress, lower self-esteem, social anxiety, low mood or social isolation.
Friendship issues and bullying – for example struggling to make friends or maintain relationships with peers, feeling a lack of connection with the people they view as friends or experiencing bullying or cyberbullying.
Sense of otherness – the young person may experience a sense of ‘otherness’ due to how peers have reacted to their sexual or gender identity, race, religion or other protected characteristics.
Find out more
To find out more about the service and referrals, email BuildingConnections@nspcc.org.uk. Or visit the website.
