Firm marks charity partnership success on International Youth Day
Get Connected, now in its 16th year, is a UK-wide, free and confidential helpline for young people who need support with a wide range of issues. Last year, from Brighton and Hove alone, the charity received 205 calls from young people aged between 16-25. Of them, 107 related to ‘mental health’ (52%), ‘housing issues’ made up 15% and ‘sexual health’ was the reason for 8% of the calls. More than 80 percent of those who have used the helpline say their lives improved after contacting the charity.
Phil Harvey, Contact Centre Manager at Domestic & General said: “The work of Get Connected at both a local and national level is hugely important. There are so many pressures on young people today, and many need support to help them find their way in life.
“We’ve chosen International Youth Day to celebrate our year-long partnership with Get Connected as it’s about recognising the value of young people to society - something we wholeheartedly support. We actively invest in young people’s futures in our Brighton office and across our other UK sites, and their energy and enthusiasm is central to our company culture. I’m pleased to say the decision to make Get Connected our first national charity partner has been well received company-wide.”
Since April Domestic & General has raised over £70,000 for Get Connected and employees from the company volunteer for the charity.
John Schless, Director of Fundraising and Development at Get Connected hopes raised awareness around International Youth Day will encourage more people to consider volunteering. He said: “We rely on the financial support of our corporate partners and donations from individuals, but volunteering is just as important. Demand for our service is predicted to increase by almost a third in the next year so we desperately need more people to give their time. I hope that International Youth Day reminds us of the importance of young people within our society and encourages more support.”
Last year Get Connected supported more than 228,000 children and young people to find the help they needed with a range of issues such as homelessness, self-harm, bullying and drugs. This free and confidential service supports young people who don’t know where else to turn.
Offering a 365 day a year service to young people, Get Connected can be contacted by phone, webchat, email and via their free app. Trained volunteers offer emotional support and provide appropriate sources of specialist help from a database of trusted organisations across the country.
Volunteers receive full training and can give as little as three hours of their time a week. For more information and information on volunteering opportunities, visit http://www.getconnected.org.uk/volunteer/.
