There is Always Hope
Look at any recent reports on mental health issues amongst young people (see yesterday’s post or this article from The Guardian) and they can leave you feeling completely hopeless. The statistics are not lying. At Golddigger Trust, we have received 100 referrals in the last three months alone, this is on top of the 65 young people that we are already supporting from our centre every week. The enormity of these young people’s situations can feel overwhelming.
But there is always HOPE, and so we keep going; starting with each young person afresh, listening to their unique story and journeying with them to uncover the gold that is always within them.
We have been supporting one young woman who had struggled with anxiety attacks and self-harming for several years. She had been through ‘the system’, but nothing was working – with nowhere left to turn, she, like 18% of teenagers in the UK, began to wonder if life really was worth living. Things came to a head in the autumn of 2018 and she was admitted to hospital after an overdose, where she was then referred to us at Golddigger Trust and we were able to begin supporting her.
As a team, we were encouraged to receive this feedback from the young woman’s mother:
"Our daughter….finds it difficult to open up and talk about her anxieties and fears. But something, I don’t know what, about Golddigger Trust worked for her.
Over the Christmas holidays, which coincided with the end of the five week course at Golddigger Trust, we observed our daughter doing more of the things that she used to enjoy, for example, sewing and reading. We also had some great family moments - playing games and going into town together. I don’t know whether there is any connection between this and Golddigger Trust, but having seen her positive mindset after each evening’s course, it seems very likely. We are so hugely grateful to Golddigger Trust for the impact that we believe that the course has had on our daughter. Thank you.”
Even in the darkest of places, there is always hope.
We know that, at Golddigger Trust, we can make a difference where others can’t. We are privileged to be able to offer hope where there is none, value in place of disregard and light in the overwhelming darkness felt by too many young people in Sheffield.
If you would like to join us on this journey of hope, and partner with us as we support young people through some very dark places, please do consider donating as a one-off or becoming one of our incredible regular givers.