Worth My Wellbeing is an exciting cross-sector partnership programme designed with young people from Salford to support their emotional health and wellbeing at key transitions in their lives.

Through a programme of youth-led activities, young people will develop skills to support themselves and each other and promote greater awareness around mental health.

WMW will build a legacy of community-based Worth My Wellbeing Ambassadors representing the voice of young people to help shape future service delivery across Salford and ensure young people can access timely support at the earliest point in the mental health pathway.

Salford currently has a 33-week waiting list for young people seeking counselling support leaving a huge gap for those needing emotional support. Health professionals are seeing an increase in the number of young people presenting at A&E with self-harm and suicide related issues rooted within increasingly complex contributory societal factors. 85% of young people presenting to  Adult Mental Health Services are accessing support for the first time. Despite the growing pressures young people told us there is limited support available to them to help look after their emotional health and wellbeing at key times in their lives.

The Partnership led by Rio Ferdinand Foundation brings together Odd Arts, Salford Youth Alliance, Reform Radio and 42nd Street. Each brings significant experience of working with young people whose life experience has negatively impacted on their emotional health and wellbeing for a variety of reasons. The partnership creates a strong and varied suite of interventions using sports, creative arts and media as conduits to address emotional health and wellbeing.  Salford City Council will provide mental health first aid training and co-commissioning opportunities to our WMW Ambassadors.

Working collaboratively with over 45 young people we have consulted a wide range of stakeholders including Salford Mental Health Forum, BAME Mental Health Champions, Fight for Change Council (looked after children), and integrated services teams. They have also taken feedback from over 1700 young people transitioning from primary to secondary school.

Find out more here.