Local charity launches appeal to maintain its mental health programmes for young people

By Jessica Durston - 5 August 2022

Charity
  • David Wreathall

    David Wreathall

The charity Inner Flame has launched a £20,000 appeal so its mental health programmes for young people can keep running, and it is asking businesses and people to pledge support.

Inner Flame has so far completed 15 anxiety programmes since they were launched during the pandemic in 2020.

However, these programmes rely entirely on donations and grants, which are due to run out at the end of 2022.

‘Manage Anxiety – Your Way’ is for people aged 16-25 who are finding anxiety is holding them back.

Over eight weeks, a trained facilitator leads a small online group on a journey to try out simple lifestyle changes, and see what works for them. It’s based on the '5 Ways to Wellbeing', and it’s aimed at helping deal with anxiety before it gets worse.

Aimee Parsons, Lead Facilitator for the programme said: “We have seen a broad mix of people on Manage Anxiety – Your Way. From long-term unemployed through to university graduates. Social anxiety, in particular, has grown massively through the pandemic.”

The charity's aim for 2023 is to help at least 50 more local young people through this programme.

To boost funding, Inner Flame - which also delivers the Princes Trust programmes Team and Achieve in Swindon and Trowbridge - has joined the Big Give Christmas Appeal, asking businesses and individuals to pledge their financial support.

David Wreathall, Inner Flame’s Founder, said: “The Big Give Christmas Challenge is a national campaign. Our first step is to secure £5,000 in pledges by 2 September.

"These don’t have to be paid until December, but they help us to unlock further funding from various Big Give funders. The two pots are then matched by public donations at the start of December – so the initial pledges could have quadruple the impact!”

Inner Flame is also staging a fundraiser with its annual Young Champions dinner on 25 November, at The Doubletree Hilton, Swindon.

David added: “This event will celebrate ten years of partnership with The Prince’s Trust. We are looking forward to hearing inspiring stories from people who’ve completed the Team programme with us over that time.”

To make a pledge for Big Give Christmas Appeal, individuals can go to innerflame.org.uk/christmas-challenge-2022/  

To reserve a table at the dinner, people can visit www.innerflame.org.uk/young-champions, email [email protected] or call 0333 456 9707.

Tickets cost from £55 per person.

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