Fishguard’s POINT young people’s project is celebrating a National Lottery Grant that will allow it to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing for the next three years.

POINT has been successful in securing a £435k grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to support a new Nurturing the Future project.

The project will start this autumn and will support young people with their well-being and emotional and mental health through many different platforms.

It will complement the long-standing youth drop-in centre, which supports young people from 11-25 years of age.

Four in 10 young people say that the Covid-19 crisis has increased feelings of panic and anxiety, 32% of young people feel overwhelmed by these feelings on a daily basis and 69% feel their life is ‘on hold’ according to Children & Young People Now.

POINT has continued to work hard to support young people during these uncertain times.

The new project will offer the young people a range of targeted services including: health and well-being groups and activities, in house access to professional counselling, mentoring support and much more.

POINT is pleased to be working in partnership with Cardigan’s Area 43youth charity who will provide the counselling service element of the project. They have many years of experience delivering the independent school-based counselling service for Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire schools.

General Manager, Zoe Davies explained that the project originated from a large-scale survey, where young people identified mental and emotional health as a big issue for them and their peers.

“We are pleased to be able to offer such a service. We know that this type of support will be of value to young people, particularly during this difficult and challenging time and in the many months to follow.

“We would like to thank National Lottery players for helping to make this new funding possible as it will undoubtedly enable new and developed service provision for young people across North Pembrokeshire.”

For more information on the project, please contact General Manager Zoe Davies on 01348 871887 and keep an eye on the website for project updates, www.pointypt.org.uk.