Local charity Bedford Giving has launched a new website for its ‘Follow The Pink Link’ campaign, designed to help parents and guardians concerned about their child or teenager’s mental health find all the necessary information and advice in one place.
The campaign started with the unveiling of its first set of adverts, which are dotted across the fencing at Bedford Summer Sessions, as well as being on the screens inside the arena.
The website offers practical advice written by a trained professional therapist from a local counselling service, Spring Therapeutic Services.
The aim of the website is for parents to navigate whether their teenager’s behaviour is normal or whether they’re displaying signs of something more serious, which needs addressing.
Whether that is being moody, withdrawn or expressing more extreme behaviours, the website helps parents to correctly respond to their children.
Topics include how to start conversations with teenagers and guidance on spotting early warning signs.
As well as this, the website features a directory of local and national support services parents or their teenagers can turn to.
“Bedford Giving’s work around mental health and wellbeing is all about early help and open conversations and is a direct response to the real priorities young people and their parents shared with us during our research”, Director Paul Kellett explained.
“We have articles written by a therapist, around topics such as including how to open a conversation with your young person which can be difficult, especially if they appear shut down.
“We’ve also listed nearly 100 organisations, both local and national, which can help with a range of topics from anxiety to being a young carer and the pressures this presents.
The Pink Link signposts parents to the right information, from the right resources, to get the right support, at the right time.”
These summer adverts will appear across Bedford on billboards, buses, digital screens, supermarkets and the train station, all backed with a social media campaign.
The five-day-long Bedfringe arts festival at the Quarry Theatre, starting on 23 July, is backing the campaign, and on 10 October (World Mental Health Day), many buildings across the town will be lit up pink to vocalise their support for the campaign.
Written by Jack Butler and published as part of our work experience partnership with Sharnbrook Academy
Bedford Giving is the charity partner of the Bedford Independent
