When Ellie attended sessions through the Safe Hubs in Blackburn, she discovered that anxiety isn’t just in your head; it affects your whole body. Gradually, she began to understand her feelings, practise calming techniques, and find new ways to cope. Over time, her confidence grew. She started staying in lessons, spending more time with friends and enjoying activities she had previously stopped.

In Blackburn with Darwen, mental health worries touch more young people than many realise. Rates of depression and anxiety here exceed those in most other parts of the country, and schools are noticing more pupils missing lessons due to their mental health issues. In a typical classroom, about six young people, roughly one at each table, are quietly struggling with their mental health. Additionally, every year, hundreds are admitted to hospital after self-harming, emphasising the importance of early, community-based support through Safe Hubs.

Those figures are hard to read, but they highlight one thing: too many young people are struggling long before they receive help. Safe Hubs offer a secure, welcoming environment where they can talk, acquire practical skills, and start to believe in themselves once again.

Spring North is proud to collaborate with our partners to deliver the Safe Hubs across Lancashire and South Cumbria, ensuring young people like Ellie can access support early, before things have already fallen apart. Sometimes, the smallest steps towards calm are the biggest steps forward.