Nearly half of young people in the UK say economic uncertainty makes them feel hopeless about the future. But 70% of young people still say they’re determined to achieve their goals.*
This Friday (18 September) Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is marking Youth Mental Health Day, a national campaign from stem4 focused on the theme #BuildFutureYou, and highlighting the local mental health and wellbeing support available.
Growing up can bring many challenges and there are lots of heavy pressures facing young people today (such as economic uncertainty and global instability). Youth Mental Health Day 2026 is about meeting young people where they are, acknowledging what’s hard, and helping them build forward, one step at a time.
During a recent meeting, WCC’s Youth Council reflected on what they would like their future selves to remember as well as what adults can do to help young people feel more positive about the future. They wrote down messages such as: "be brave", "always be yourself" and "never forget who you are", while they also called on adults to listen to young people, be accepting, share their own experiences and support young people to follow the paths they choose.
Warwickshire County Councillor Anne-Marie Sonko, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health said:
“This Youth Mental Health Day, we're shining a spotlight on the support available to help every child and young person in Warwickshire stay happy, healthy and heard.
“General pressures and life events like returning to school after the summer holidays, or starting a new school for the first time, can bring feelings of anxiety, worry and stress. Sometimes, we can just feel low or struggle with our mental wellbeing for no particular reason we know of.
“These are all normal emotions, but it's important that children and young people know how to look after their mental health and wellbeing and find ways to effectively cope with the ups and downs of life. By building resilience, mental health problems are less likely to escalate in the future.
“From self-help resources and early intervention to specialist advice and crisis support, a range of services are available across Warwickshire.”
The Five Ways to Wellbeing, supported by the Council, are an evidence-based set of daily actions designed to improve mental health and wellbeing for people of all ages, including young people:
- Connect: Spend quality time building relationships with family, friends, or trusted adults, or make connections with someone new.
- Be Active: Move your body through walking, cycling, dancing, or sports to boost your mood and lower stress.
- Take Notice: Pay attention to the present moment, your surroundings, and your feelings to help feel calmer and more grounded.
- Keep Learning: Try a new hobby, read a book, or learn a new skill to build confidence and a sense of achievement.
- Give: Do small acts of kindness, help a neighbour, or volunteer to help others.
For children and young people needing professional support, recently launched ECHO (standing for every child and young person heard and offered support), funded by the Council, provides earlier support and improved access to community-based mental health care across Warwickshire. Designed to help children and young people get the right support before difficulties escalate, the service is available for young people up to the age of 18, and up to 25 for those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
ECHO supports children and young people experiencing lower-level mental health and emotional wellbeing challenges, including:
- Feeling anxious or worried
- Struggling with stress or low mood
- Having friendship or school difficulties
- Finding emotions difficult to manage
- Needing coping strategies and early support
Support available through ECHO may include counselling, advice and guidance, consultation support for parents and professionals, and signposting to other services such as bereavement support.
Anyone can access support from ECHO for a child or young person. Tel: 02476 631835 (lines are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.30pm and Friday 9am to 4pm) or visit www.echosupport.org.uk.
For children and young people who prefer online support, Soluna by Kooth is a mental wellbeing platform providing a free, safe space to access one-to-one practitioner support, connect with others in moderated forums, and discover content and activities that support wellbeing goals – available as a mobile app or online. Find out more at www.kooth.com.
For those requiring more complex support, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust’s Children and Young People Services – Mental Health (previously known as Rise) deliver speciality mental health services for children and young people in Warwickshire through professional referral. To learn more, visit www.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/cyp-mental-health-services.
Find out more about mental health services for children and young people in Warwickshire.
For more information about Child Friendly Warwickshire and the county’s commitment to help young people be happy, healthy, heard, skilled and safe go to www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk.
*https://www.kingstrust.org.uk/about-us/news-views/youthindex2025