Charity in the East sees demand for mental health services soar
A charity in the East has been talking about the impact of the pandemic.
Ormiston Families, which provides a range of support services in the East of England, says the pandemic has been "brutal" for people's mental health.
The charity, which is launching its 40th anniversary campaign this week, has confirmed it carried out just under 30,000 support sessions and prison visits in 2020/21.
Last year it worked with 7,421 children, young people, and families, through 29,487 support sessions.
It says children have clearly been severely impacted by the pandemic, with demand for mental health support services up 50% in Norfolk alone during October and March - when kids returned to school.
Throughout this year the charity is going to be hosting a number of events, fundraising activities, talks and online activities, designed to increase the conversation about supporting those whose lives need more hope and help.
It's also appealing for former service users to come forward and share their experiences as part of the year's campaign.
Allan Myatt, Chief Executive of Ormiston Families, said: "There is no doubt that this has been an incredibly challenging last 12 months for so many families across the region, the country, and indeed, the world.
"But for those who had already felt challenged, the pandemic has clearly exacerbated the impact, and our team have seen that play out in a huge level of support sessions required."
Ormiston Families delivers a range of services, including a Children and Young People's Mental Health Service; Mpower and YouCanBe - wellbeing services for women affected by or at risk of having a child removed into care; and Breaking Barriers, which works with children affected by the imprisonment of a close family relative.
With the pandemic causing prison visits to be paused for several months, this in particular has had significant impact on families the organisation supports.
Allan continued: "This year's campaign is all about encouraging members of the community, schools, businesses and friends and family networks, to really reflect on what might be the doors and the barriers which prevent individuals from reaching their potential, or reduce their sense of hope and resilience.
"We have a year-long fundraising drive running, with which anyone can get involved, plus some great events and activities which will all help to increase our awareness and generate income to make sure even more people across the East of England can be helped by our work."