Teenage volunteers decorate youth mental health hub at The Ridings

More than a dozen young people have transformed an empty unit in The Ridings into a safe space for young people suffering with their mental health.

The volunteers created the hub as part of the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme and the Young Lives Consortium.

Achellia Hare and Tia Stent, both 16, were involved in the project.

Tia said: “As part of the NCS, we had to choose a community project that would help Wakefield and the wider district.

“A lot of our group had suffered from mental health problems and had nowhere to go, which is why we wanted to create a space for us and people like us.”

Acheilla added: “As a young person, we know how it is.

“There is support out there but people often do not know where to go.

“We want to raise awareness about the hub. The Ridings is a quite well known place so the hub is in a good space where people can come.”

It was also important to Tia and Acheilia for the hub to offer free sanitary products for people who struggle to afford them.

Tia said: “We’ve also created a sanitary station that includes menstruation products, deodorants, wet wipes and things like that.

"“It was important for us to include this as we don’t want people who menstruate to miss out on key events because they are too embarrassed.”

The project was overseen by youth worker Mohammed Amran Nazir.

He said: “We connected with the Young Lives Consortium who have created this hub.

“It will be a safe space where young people can come and talk about their feelings and access support with any issues they have.

“I want to spread the word about young people who are giving back to the community.

“The project has helped the confidence of the young people massively. It has been fantastic to watch them grow over the past two weeks.”

For more information on the hub, which is on the middle mall of the shopping centre and when it will open, visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/youngliveswakefield.