THE Boys’ Brigade has announced a partnership with the UK charity YoungMinds to ensure that “churches are equipped with professional mental-health resources to best support young people when they need it most”.
The partnership, until the end of the year, involves specialist training for Boys’ Brigade leaders and church volunteers, including tailored mental-health first-aid and resilience training; digital resources for use in weekly meetings that will help “young people build emotional literacy through a faith-based lens”; and support for churches to facilitate open conversations about mental health and reduce the stigma that can prevent young people in faith communities from seeking help, the organisation says.
The CEO of the Boys’ Brigade, Jonathan Eales, said: “It’s about ensuring that when a young person walks through a church-hall door, they find a space that is not only spiritually nurturing but mentally safe.”
The collaboration “comes at a key time for the UK’s younger generations”, the Boys’ Brigade statement says. It refers to findings, in its report Youth Culture and Trends, that in a survey more children than ever said that they were unhappy with their lives: one in 15, compared with one in 30 a decade earlier (News, 19 January 2024).
Another initiative that the Boys’ Brigade is running is its Spaces scheme, which completed its first-year pilot last month. Churches that have signed up can host Spaces groups for over-11s and facilitate conversations about faith.
The organisation described Spaces as a new ministry that helps churches intentionally disciple young people. It costs churches £200 for the first year, which covers training, resources and support.
The Boys’ Brigade ministry lead, Peter Andrews, said: “There’s a real hunger out there among young people wanting to explore their identity and purpose, and we want to help churches step up to meet this need.”
