“Everybody here has a passion around improving mental health”

HELD in May every year, Mental Health Awareness Week gives people across the world space to reflect on issues that, in one way or another, affect us all.

The theme this year is simple: action. More specifically, the idea that even small actions can “help us feel hopeful and less powerless”.

Part of the bid to combat poor mental health in the Island is Youthful Minds, a participation group consisting of 11-to-25-year-olds who meet up to help the mental health of Jersey’s young community.

Running for 11 years, the group currently operates with around ten active members, who gather at Mind Jersey in St Helier to collaborate and swap notes on how to improve our collective psychological wellbeing.

Amy Hall, children, young person and families service manager at Mind Jersey, helps steer conversation by drawing together disparate threads into actionable tasks and ideas.

She is helped by child and young persons mental health practitioner and youth participation lead Martha Maguire, who is also integral in the group’s ongoing campaigning efforts.

“Everyone here has a passion around improving mental health services in Jersey,” Amy said. “Using their lived experience to make things better for other young people, reducing stigma and raising awareness.

“The group is very much set-up to try and change services for the better.”

What makes Youthful Minds really stand out is its special focus on constructive conversation.

“We try and keep it solution-focused,” Amy explained. “Because a lot of people have had really tricky experiences, and it can be hard when it feels there’s no change in that.

“But I think the by-product of peace-of-mind is increased self-confidence, increased self-esteem and people feeling heard, validated and able to share their experiences in a safe and supportive ways.

“So it’s not a therapy kind of space, or people sharing their own experience – they can if they want to – but it’s not the primary goal.”

Martha added: “I think a lot of people join and they sort of settle in, and they end up staying in the group for years and years.

“Essentially, participation is having your voice heard, having an opportunity to make change and I think we’re the only participation group that offers that in Jersey.

Youthful Minds, the group leaders explain, even played a substantial part in developing the Jersey Mental Health Strategy 2026-2030, published in March.

During a workshop held on 1 May, the group hashed out several of the most important themes raised in the landmark report.

A regular cause-for-concern at Youthful Minds is the difficulty facing young people as they transition from Child and the Adolescent Mental Health Service to adult mental health services.

Indeed, Amy described the transition service offered to 18-year-olds as a “continuous challenge” for mental health advocates.

Youthful Minds participant Darcey Charlton confirmed that the group were “struggling to get in contact with adult mental health services”, with co-participant Alexis Audrian agreeing that it was “something that needs to be sorted out”.

Georgia White, aged 18, described the transition from child-to-adult services as “something many people I know have found challenging and not as smooth as it should be”.

The Mental Health Strategy report forms a similar conclusion, describing transitions from CAMHS to adult services as “abrupt”, “poorly supported” and “losing continuity a time when stability is most needed”.

This uncomfortable transition is borne out by the statistics: In March 2026 more than 68 people aged 18 and over remain awaiting transition to the adult service.

A “key principle” featured in the 2026-2030 strategy concerns “reducing stigma and increasing awareness of mental health”.

This, Martha said, remains an evergreen issue for anyone invested in raising awareness about mental health in Jersey.

“I guess we’re always tackling the stigma with mental health,” she reflected. “People set in their ways, or having the same attitude towards it, so that’s always going to be a challenge.

“Even though I think we all maybe thought it’s got better – and maybe people assume everything’s better – there still is that stigma, especially with young males and adult males as well.”

Group member Erin Finn suggested that a large proportion of mental health stigma boils down to generational differences.

“I think it’s just because of the fear that [the older generation] are wrong,” she said.

“Because it was never talked about, it was always seen as not a good thing – or if it was people would just make a stereotype about it.

“So that’s obviously what they’ve grown up with, and now all of a sudden they’re seeing it become quite normalised.”

A common thread throughout the workshop – one analysed from several different angles – related to the inter-linked problems of loneliness, social anxiety and isolation.

Georgia argued that students returning from university are particularly susceptible to feelings of abandonment.

“Due to the decrease in their social networks when returning, loneliness is most prevalent in this age group,” she said.

“Hopefully there is something that can be done to help build up these social networks again and reduce mental health issues related to loneliness.”

Erin made the case that Jersey people face additional exposure to loneliness by virtue of living in a small island community.

She said: “It can be a bit lonely here especially as there’s literally nothing to do unless you’re a tourist.

“View-wise and stuff like that – yeah – but activities – there’s not much; the place is so small that you can literally run into anyone.

“That can be nice, but then it’s also lonely because there’s not much to do, especially if your friends go to university after school.”

Darcy added that it can be “hard to make friends because everyone knows everyone” and “people talk about people”.

Group leader Amy concurred: “We’ve definitely identified a high number of young people who, in that age of 18 to 25, experience social isolation and loneliness.

“It’s something we need to tackle.”

Interwoven through all conversations about mental health, though, were constant bursts of positivity: little rays of hope.

Alexis reminded the Youthful Minds group of Jersey’s interconnectivity and natural splendour.

“If you live out in the countryside, you’re away from a lot of pollution, which is really good for you”, they observed.

“There’s easy transport, and you can get to town where there’s parks, and go out of town where there’s nice breaches, sand dunes, big fields.

“There’s a lot of public transport and you are always within walking distance of places you can talk to someone if you need to, which is really nice.”

Amy echoed Alexis’ point and pointed out that the “importance of the basics can go unnoticed sometimes, or under-valued”.

“The three most basic things that impact our mental health are sleep, diet and exercise”, she added.

“And if those foundational blocks are not as good as it could be then people’s mental health is affected.”

Youthful Minds are aided in their efforts by Crestbridge Family Office Services, who provide invaluable resources – both financial and emotional.

“They’ve been amazing,” Martha said.

Sponsorship initiatives led by Crestbridge include community dog walks, charity hair-cuts and a range of in-house fundraising events.

Amy is resounding in her appreciation adding that the group would never have accomplished what they have without help from their sponsor.

Crestbridge chief executive Heather Tibbo described the opportunity to start working in partnership with Youthful Minds as a “natural step” for the company.

She added: “We know that helping to drive positive change is not a short-term effort, and we’re continuing to build on this valuable partnership.

“This year, our focus is on strengthening further our relationship with Youthful Minds and their amazing team of volunteers, highlighting the potential of collaboration across the charity sector and business community, and helping to underline just how important it is to create a safe and supportive environment for young people in Jersey.

“Our hope is that, through our ongoing support, we can build on what we’ve achieved so far and help to normalise conversations about mental health.”