We are very excited to announce that the Headlight wellbeing service for young people is returning to face-to-face delivery locally.

It has been a year of false starts for so many community activities, but few more needed than support for young people’s wellbeing. Headlight was due to begin in April 2020, but was delayed until September due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Since then Headlight has been delivering online wellbeing services for 13–24-year-olds. However, with the new government roadmap in place and updated risk assessments we are opening the doors for face-to-face mental health support from April 16 in Sidmouth. Jenny Kim, the group facilitator for Sidmouth, said: “Going back to face-to-face opens up the opportunity to form real human connections which is such a vital and instinctual part of our existence.”

Headlight delivers a mixture of peer support and facilitated group work as well as one-to-one support to benefit young people’s mental wellbeing and reduce mental ill health. These sessions offer an opportunity for young people to meet others experiencing similar issues in a safe, non-clinical and relaxed environment as well as offering a programme of activities and workshops that give tools and techniques for supporting emotional wellbeing, improving resilience and building confidence and self-esteem.

“Our method of delivery is Support, Encourage, and Guide, something we are really eager to offer to the young people of Sidmouth,” said Ben Feasey, Headlight Manager.

Headlight is delivered by the local charity, Action East Devon. The Sidmouth provision of Headlight has been part-funded through local community fundraising, with huge support from the parish church of St Giles and St Nicholas. Further funding has been raised by Sid Valley Help and a substantial grant from the Edwin and Joyce Hill Charitable Trust. This funding effort highlights the impact of hard work by core community members to get young peoples’ mental health services at the forefront of community conversations.

If you or anyone you know aged 13-25 is struggling with any aspect of their mental health, please refer them to Headlight via the website www.actioneastdevon.org.uk

If you have any questions about this service please email headlight@actioneastdevon.org.uk