Stories
Olivia’s time on our Knowsley THiNK project. Where did they start? Seventeen-year-old Olivia lives independently. Rocky relationships with both family and peers meant she could become anxious, frustrated, and withdrawn, which in turn impacted her decision making and well-being. After being referred to MYA by a Careers Connect adviser, a number of barriers to her personal development were identified –…
RAISE Team Co-ordinator As Team co-ordinator for RAISE I’m responsible for promoting MYA’s mental health agenda across Merseyside, which includes training, campaigning, and face-to-face delivery to children, young people and their families. How it began Working with young people and seeing them thrive has been my passion ever since I was 14 and first volunteered on a disability sports programme….
Sarah’s support through MYA Navigators. Where did they start? 13-year-old Sarah lives at home with her mum and older brother, and engages positively with a range of extracurricular activities including the Northern Star programme. Diagnosed with Autism, and EHCP through CAMHS, Sarah was the victim of a double assault at school. After arriving at Alder Hey A&E with multiple bruises…
Josh’s support through MYA Navigators. Where did they start? Josh is 14 years’ old and lives at home with his Mum and younger brother. When Josh injured his hand punching a wall during a fight with his brother, his mum took him to Alder Hey A&E. On seeing his injuries, staff referred Josh to Navigators. What did we do? During…
Morgan’s time on MYA’s THiNK Health project. Where did they start? Morgan was referred from their learning mentor into MYA’s 1-2-1 intensive mentoring programmes. At the point of referral, it was highlighted that as well as an Autism diagnosis of ASC and visual impairment, Morgan also struggled with their identity and sexuality. They were also social isolated, with no opportunities…
Adam’s support through MYA’s Talent Match Plus programme. 24-year-old Adam has mild cerebral palsy and learning difficulties, and his referral to Talent Match Plus by a DWP work coach was his first experience with a trusted and supportive adult. At that time Adam struggled with low confidence, an unsupportive and sometimes toxic family unit, mental health issues and suicidal thoughts…
Dillon’s support from MYA’s Talent Match Plus programme. Where did they start? Dillon used to be very quiet and lacking in confidence. Mental health challenges had led to a lack of direction and motivation, but he had a clear passion and talent for make-up, particularly drag make-up. While he enjoyed experimenting with fashion and make-up, it was not a common…
Tom’s SPACE to thrive. Where did they start? When Tom first began attending SPACE sessions in 2019, he was interested in photography, videography, digital media and drama, but was quite shy and reserved. After attending weekly 1:1 sessions with a focus on film making, videography and editing, it was clear he had definitely found his niche. What did we do?…
Page’s time on MYA’s SPACE project. Where did they start? Page has been a member of SPACE for nearly ten years, taking part in a range of different sessions. During that time, they have tended to stay on the outside of each group, never quite participating as fully as they might. Even saying their name aloud was a challenge which…
Ni Maxine’s Noise story Where did they start? Ni Maxine completed our LIMF X Noise project which ran through several lockdowns and culminated in a collaborative performance. Featuring all the artists from the LIMF X Noise project, the performance was streamed live at ‘Melodic Distraction’ and as a result Ni Maxine was selected for ‘Autonomy’, a project funded by the…
