In September, the British Youth Council initiated a week-long fundraising challenge to raise awareness of and funding for our charity’s campaigning and advocacy work for youth mental health issues.
- 83% of young people with mental health needs agreed pandemic had made it worse.
- The NHS has seen an 83% increase in demand for eating disorder services during 2020/21.
- 83% of Members of the National Education Union confirmed they’d noticed a change in the number of pupils/students with mental health problems.
The fact that health & well-being was the issue with the highest amount of votes in our 2022 Make Your Mark ballot, along with these statistics, reveals that youth mental health is one of the biggest concerns for young people and needs immediate action to alleviate the problem.
The distance of 83km was chosen as the challenge target, due to the statistics above.
With our fundraisers’ extraordinary efforts, we were able to raise a total of £880 including gift aid!
This will go towards our work empowering young people with opportunities to speak out and pave the way for a substantial political and social improvement on mental health issues.
We are proud of our fundraisers, donors and supporters who took part in this challenge to demonstrate the significance of youth mental health, and so grateful for their support.
After a tough week, our participants gave feedback on their feelings and shared what mattered to them in taking part in this challenge.
Participant Dominic Shaw shared his perspective on mental health care, stating that “The British Youth Council do amazing work so supporting them was a great privilege.
“Mental health is a challenge for all age groups but young people frequently cite mental health as a top priority. As a mental health first aider, I know how important getting the right support early on is. I would encourage others to volunteer for the British Youth Council in the future!”
Another participant, Eleanor Burnaby-Rouse also expressed her impression of the challenge, “I decided to take part in the Big Biking Challenge as the British Youth Council played a significant role in my teen years through my involvement in the Youth Parliament and my local youth council (which is a member of the British Youth Council).
“I wanted to make sure other young people had the opportunity to have their voice heard and learn how to campaign on the issues they’re passionate about. Cycling 83km in a week was definitely a challenge, but I’m so glad I did it! A massive congratulations to everyone who took part and to the British Youth Council for organising such a brilliant fundraising challenge.”
We thank each and every one of our fundraisers, donors, and supporters who made it possible for us to continue advocating for young people and their needs!
If you want to take on a fundraising challenge for the British Youth Council and make your mark on youth voice, get in touch with us at fundraising@byc.org.uk.