Merseyside young people charity supports 200 a week as cost of living bites
Wirral based Open Door Charity works with young people around the region suffering with issues like depression and anxiety
Some Merseyside charities are expecting a rise in need for support as the cost of living grows and could cause more strain on mental health.
The Wirral based Open Door Charity (ODC) works with young people around Merseyside suffering with issues including depression, eating disorders and anxiety.
They say that a focus for them in the current climate will be identifying and responding to the needs of those affected in the region.
ODC Founder, Lee Pennington, set up the charity 12 years ago. He told us the current climate means some needs for support grow.
He said: “The cost of the cost of living affects people being able to have the fundamentals in life available to them that they need to live happy, healthy lives.
"It's totally obvious that is gonna be a driver for people coming into the Open Door Charity. We know that's the case.
“We don't try and like really hone down on one specific thing. We leave it open access. But what we do do is if we see a trend like the cost of living within the people who are coming in, we try and respond to that.”
The charity, which supports between 100 and 200 people weekly, offers free memberships and once enrolled people can choose the activities and services they need at that time.
Lee told us keeping abreast of issues like the cost of living helps them support the needs of young adults in the area.
He said:”So for example, last year we did a deep dive into over 1000 members of the charity. And we found that 42% of those members identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
“It was amazing to know that because then you can respond to that. So we’ve made sure that this program within Bloom Building, called Aperture, which directly responds to that need because if that's what people come in, you know where they're talking about and things that are influencing people's lives that we need to respond to that. So be the same with the cost of living.”
One program option is called ‘oomoo’ aimed at young people between 12 and 18. The weekly activities take place at Lüft on Hamilton Square, and activities include song writing.
Lee told us: “It's about ripping up the rules and how emotional well-being support lands for kids who are in care.
“That’s always been at the heart of what we do and it's still, you know, total, totally innovative really, it’s this model of support, where it takes someone who's got lived experience of what we're supporting.
You train them up, you upskill them, you empower them and you bring them onto the team and they then sit and deliver said the support services on the front line to put to someone else who's in the same situation.”
ODC is looking to expand so they can offer more help to young people who need it.
Lee said: “We're currently recruiting for new trustees but also we're always looking for mentors and people who want to get involved.”