Prince and Princess of Wales visit Scarborough to show support for young people’s mental health services

Their Royal Highnesses paid a visit to The Street in Scarborough today to see how the funding will positively impact local organisations and increase the help they can provide for young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

This will include boosting the provision of safe spaces, affordable sports and outdoor activities, youth work, creative workshops or mentoring and enabling organisations to take their assistance to locations young people already frequent.

The Prince and Princess have long been champions of mental health and are committed to delivering lasting impact in this space through the work of The Royal Foundation.

Amanda Berry, CEO, The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales said: “Ensuring that young people have access to a wide range of mental health support is something that The Prince and Princess of Wales feel extremely passionate about.

"Tackling the stigma around mental health and ensuring that help is there for those who need it continues to be one of society’s biggest issues.

"The Royal Foundation is therefore delighted that by working with Two Ridings Community Foundation, we have played a pivotal role in galvanising funding to support the organisations doing this vital work in the community, creating a long-lasting impact for young people in Scarborough.”

Today’s announcement is the result of a collaboration between The Royal Foundation and the Two Ridings Community Foundation, an organisation that creates grants for hundreds of local, grassroots, charitable organisations throughout North and East Yorkshire.

The funding is the result of generous donations from local individuals and organisations keen to make a difference.

How the funding will be distributed will be decided by a grant panel of the Two Ridings Community Foundation.

The panel includes young people who have themselves been supported by local community organisations, helping to ensure that the money goes straight to the services that have the greatest impact.

Jan Garrill, Chief Executive, Two Ridings Community Foundation said: “Thanks to the collaboration with The Royal Foundation and the generosity of our donors, we are delighted to announce £345,000 of funding which will continue to support the work we have seen today.

“Community foundations like Two Ridings are the means of uniting people and businesses who care passionately and want to invest locally with the grassroots charitable organisations that live and breathe supporting people.”

Katie Robinson, a young person on the panel said: “Being on the panel has given me a proper confidence boost.

"I know what issues young people care about and what support and services they need.

"We need safe spaces, affordable activities and preventative support for our mental health, not just crisis support which is where this funding will really help.”

Steve Blower, Chief Executive of Sidewalk Youth Project, which will receive some of the funding said: “Funding is crucial in keeping the doors open for Sidewalk.

“Working directly with young people where they’re at on the streets, at the skatepark, youth centres and mentoring in schools all provide vital support where young people can safely share their views, experiences, and feelings through supportive contact.”

In Scarborough, almost one third of residents live in areas that are among the most deprived neighbourhoods in England.

These levels of deprivation can mean that the provision of mental health services can often be insufficient.

The funding announced today will help community organisations who are intervening early to ensure that mental health issues don’t reach crisis point and can be prevented.

By ensuring funding is created and distributed locally, not only will young people in Scarborough benefit but the wider community will too.

During their visit to Scarborough, Their Royal Highnesses spent time at ‘The Street’ where they met with the grant panel of young people who helped decide on the allocation of funding.

The Prince and Princess then met with three beneficiaries that the funding will support: Gallows Close Centre, Sidewalk Youth Project and Flash Company Arts to see first-hand the impact the funding will make, and the importance of community fundraising in improving the wellbeing and mental health of local residents.