Surrey’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Care Leavers team has ensured that people who use the service will receive a Christmas present this year by organising a present donation scheme for the fourth year in a row.
The CAMHS Care Leavers Service, which is provided by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, provides mental health support to young people aged 16 – 25 who have left social care and are moving out to live on their own, at a hostel or with friends for the first time.
Emrald Greenidge, CAMHS Specialist Mental Health Practitioner at Surrey and Borders Partnership said: “Leaving home is a challenge for everyone, but young people leaving care often do so without family support.
“The young people we work with often talk about feeling lonely and at times unsupported. Christmas time can exacerbate these feelings as many care leavers spend this time of year alone.
“We deciced to launch our Christmas bag scheme to bring some joy to this time and show our carer leavers that people do care about them.
Antonina, 20 from Horley, has received a Christmas bag from the team for the past few years: “It can be hard for me to enjoy myself this time of year, I find it quite stressful but the Christmas bags help massively. They provide me with a distraction from my anxieties and help me relax. They’re tailored to my interests too so I often receive crafting gifts as well as self-care items such as bath bombs.”
The team starts preparing for the scheme in September by contacting local companies and organisations inviting them to donate items.
“We were worried this year that with the pandemic, and the additional pressure this has put on people and organisations, we wouldn’t receive as many donations but in fact we’ve received more than ever before. It’s been really touching that so many people still want to look out for our care leavers and ensure they have a special day, despite the hardships they might be facing themselves” said Emrald.
In the four years since the scheme was launched the team has received generous donations from local companies and organisations such as Eagle Radio, The Lighthouse, Next, Dominos and Lush, to name a few.
“We share information about the scheme on social media too which usually results in generous donations from members of our local community. We also appeal to colleagues from across our Trust and are always met with an excellent response”.