Our Big Give Christmas Campaign is now live! 

Our Big Give Christmas Campaign has now officially launched. Over the next week, we’re aiming to raise £12,000 to enhance mental health support for young people in Greater Manchester with every donation made to the campaign being doubled.

Mental health challenges among young people are rising rapidly. At GMYN we are aiming to raise £12,000 from 3rd – 10th December, to enhance our existing mental health and wellbeing programmes to reduce isolation and help young people develop new skills, confidence, and friendships.

The Big Give Christmas campaign is a vital way for us to receive the funding we crucially need to support our young people.

According to latest figures 55% of 16–25-year-olds have seen their GP about their mental health at some point in their lives. Specialist services are stretched and young people are often made to join long waiting lists. Many parents say their child’s mental health deteriorates while waiting for support. As the number of young people needing support soars, many are forced to find their own way of coping.

Sophie, a neurodivergent young person, joined our sessions after a very traumatic experience that left her struggling with acute anxiety and social isolation. Initially, she was very shy and relied heavily on her mum for support. But after just four sessions with GMYN, including fun trips to the theatre and cinema, Sophie began to blossom. 

With gentle encouragement and the amazing support of our dedicated volunteers, Sophie now enjoys interacting with others and feels more relaxed. Sophie has gone from being hesitant to excitedly planning future activities with newfound confidence. Her mum shared: “GMYN is absolutely amazing – thank you a million times over for helping in her recovery and journey. She was all smiles – you have really helped her wellbeing!” 

We are proud to support incredible transformations like Sophie’s, showcasing the power of community and compassion. Our mental health and wellbeing programmes provide fun group activities such as arts and crafts, music, sports, and gardening. They also provide opportunities to develop essential life skills such as cooking, budgeting, and travel training.

You can help us continue making a difference for young people like Sophie. Just £25 pays for a young person’s transport to access our activities for a week, with the campaign paying for two weeks. Meanwhile £50 pays for a cooking session to promote healthy eating and effective budgeting, with Big Give making it two sessions. A £100 donation pays for a leadership course for one young person to improve their confidence, your donation will support two young people. 

We’d like to say a huge thank you to our match funders, Westwood Recruitment and The Monday Charitable Giving Trust.

Every donation, no matter the size, will have double the impact on young people with mental health needs. Donate now here.