Fundraiser launched to bring youth mental health service to Yorkshire Coast

Art Therapy Yorkshire is a small registered charity based at Woodend Creative Workspace, Scarborough, that provides free or low-cost psychotherapy to those in need.

The group is fundraising through the Aviva crowdfunding community to provide free art therapy to young people aged between 16 and 25.

Sue Holmes, from Art Therapy Yorkshire, said: “As a charity, we’re endeavouring to offer a mental health intervention to those that need it in Scarborough or the wider area.”

So far, more than £1,100 of a £5,000 target has been raised to provide the service to young people in Yorkshire adversely affected by the pandemic and poor mental health.

Art therapy is like counselling or psychotherapy, except work takes place in an art studio. Art psychotherapy is a recognised, regulated, psychological therapy that uses all types of art materials and processes to help express thoughts and feelings.

“It’s important because it fills a need and it’s very rarely available anywhere else,” said Ms Holmes. “Some things are beyond words, a lot of people are silent, especially when you’re talking about things like violence and abuse which makes it very difficult to talk about.

“It’s a way of building up a trust where you don’t have to say a lot, whether that be a drawing or a diagram or something that is very messy.”

All of the art therapists are registered with the Health Care Professions Council as qualified, professional art therapists and have extensive experience across the mental health and charity sector.

They are also registered with the British Association of Art Therapists.

Support can be accessed through multiple partner agencies such as statutory mental health services, but self-referrals from individuals are also welcome.

Donations can be made through Aviva HERE.

For more information email [email protected] or call 01723 384 556.