For a while now I've known that I'd like to have a career in fashion but I didn't want to forget about mental health since it has and will have had such a massive impact on my life. It's such a wide area though and there were so many possibilities that it took me a little while to finally realise that my passion in the area is with young people. Not just because I am one of them but because I was failed by a lot of professionals in my teenage years and some of it has attributed to how I am now. So I'd like to help change things for young people so that they get help and it's the right help when they first begin to need it and not when they self-harm and end up in A&E. There's also the fact that there is a massive gap in services; with CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) taking people through to age 18 and adult services taking on the rest.... It's a massive jump for someone who has been used to the CAMHS system. Also, for people like me who didn't really exhibit much in the way of ill mental health until 18 so I went straight into adult services.
I have recently met with a worker for Young Minds (http://www.youngminds.org.uk/), which is the UK's leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people, and have agreed to Volunteer with them.
My first task is going to involve you guys... Young Minds are launching a campaign this month to coincide with their 21st Birthday.
Following a consultation with 1,600 young people, YoungMinds Vs will be made up of five mini campaigns on their top five issues:
YoungMinds Vs Sexed Up – Fight the pressure (Campaign tackling sexual pressures)
YoungMinds Vs Bullying – Stop the rot (Campaign tackling bullying)
YoungMinds Vs No Work – Change the record (Campaign tackling unemployment)
YoungMinds Vs School Stress – Rewrite the rules (Campaign tackling school stress)
YoungMinds Vs No Help – make your feelings loud (Campaign tackling access to counselling)
Each issue will have it's time in the spotlight and when that happens I'll be doing a special blog post for whichever one that is. I'll be posting various bits and pieces to do with this campaign on my Twitter so keep a look out for that, and if anyone wants to get involved...
http://www.youngminds.org.uk/news/blog/1764_ym_to_launch_biggest_campaign_to_date
http://www.youngminds.org.uk/about/our_campaigns/mass_movement_for_change
or if you have anything you'd like me to include in any of the five issue posts, drop me an e-mail at aimeewilson@live.co.uk
LET'S CHANGE THE WORLD!
