Mind Cymru selected as Wales YFC Charity of the Year

Posted Tuesday 12 October 2010

Mind Cymru are thrilled to announce that we have been chosen as the Wales Young Farmers' Clubs Charity of the Year for 2010/2011. Wales YFC is a voluntary youth organisation that works with young people from all backgrounds in rural communities in Wales. It currently represents 6,000 young people aged between 10 and 26.

Over the next year, Mind and Wales YFC will work in partnership to raise awareness and understanding of mental distress amongst young people in rural communities. Wales YFC will also be helping to raise much needed funds for Mind.

Mind Cymru Director Lindsay Foyster said

Mind Cymru are delighted to have been chosen as the Wales YFC charity of the year. We are looking forward to working in partnership with Wales YFC and Rural Support Wales to raise awareness and understanding of mental distress amongst rural communities.

At Mind Cymru, we have a long-standing history of promoting good mental health and challenging stigma in rural communities at both national and local levels, through our campaigning work and the work of our community-based local Mind associations. This partnership demonstrates our ongoing commitment to rural communities in Wales.

Enfys Evans, Chair of Wales YFC, said

I hope that we can encourage young people to speak out about their worries and highlight the services that are available to them in order to avoid the problems escalating. Anyone worried about friends or wanting to seek advice should refer to the Rural Support Wales website www.ruralsupportwales.org.uk or contact the MindInfoline on 08457 660 163. I hope that Wales YFC and its members will also help to raise funds for Mind Cymru, a leading mental health charity in Wales.

To begin the year-long partnership, Wales YFC staff attended a two-day Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) course delivered by Mind Cymru. Youth Mental Health First Aid courses aim to raise awareness and understanding of mental health problems in young people, advising how to recognise the signs of mental distress and how to deal with them effectively. Problems covered included depression, anxiety, self harm, substance misuse and eating disorders.

Enfys Evans participated in the training:

The Youth Mental Health First Aid course, although tough at times, helped our staff to understand more about mental distress in young people. We learned how to deal with individuals personally before referring them to professional help. I would like to thank Mind Cymru for delivering the course as part of our partnership that will develop throughout the year.

Gareth Jones, Mind Cymru Social Justice and Rural Affairs Officer said:

We are delighted that we’re able to provide this training to Wales YFC staff. Wales YFC clubs provide numerous opportunities to young people in rural Wales to stay physically and mentally active whilst helping them build and engage with social networks. We believe the work of Wales YFC to be a vital in protecting and maintaining good mental health. The Wales YFC community provides a method for young people to help and look after each other by talking and identifying potential problems as early as possible so that suitable help can be found if necessary.

For further information please contact Gareth Jones, Social Justice and Rural Affairs Officer, Mind Cymru:
e: gareth.jones@mind.org.uk
T: 01974 282 459

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