This summer a new opportunity has presented itself in the form of the Government's new 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing plan. We know that early support hubs, like YIACS, could play a huge role in improving the health of the nation’s young people and we are determined to achieve a #FundTheHubs commitment in the plan.
So far we have...
- consulted with members and young people on what needs to go in the Government's plan and submitted a response
- submitted a response as part of the Fund the Hubs coalition
- begun organising a meeting with the Civil Servants responsible for the plan
Whilst the Government's plan is being developed we are looking to turn up the political pressure to secure the vital commitment to #FundTheHubs. To do this we need to get as many MPs engaged with the campaign as possible.
#FundtheHubs Day
This Monday 18th July we'll be kicking things off with Fund the Hubs Day: a cross-coalition social media campaign to spread the word! We hope that as many members as possible will be able to take part so that the network's voice is heard loud and clear. We've put together everything you'll need to take part on Monday, including graphics and sample content.
Resource packs
We've also put together an in-depth resource pack for you to use which include:
The resource pack includes a template for you to write to your local MPs to tell them about the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan, the #FundTheHubs campaign and to invite them to come and visit your YIACS where possible! Request a digital resource pack to receive yours.
Campaign Background
EARLY 2020 The Campaign started in 2020 with all of the coalition organisations behind the #FundtheHubs campaign signing up to a joint submission to ask the Chancellor to fund a network of early support hubs in the Spring budget
COVID-19 COVID-19 transformed all of our lives. Whilst organisations were busy responding to the pandemic we resolved to keep the campaign going. We knew that after the pandemic early support hubs would be needed more than ever.
AUTUMN 2020 We held a roundtable with Baroness Barran (then Minister for Civil Society) to present the #FundtheHubs campaign to over 60 civil servants and politicians.
SPRING 2020 Our evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee of the House of Commons resulted in the Committee's final report recommending YIACS to be rolled out nationwide.
AUTUMN 2021 Across the summer and culminating in the Autumn we did absolutely everything we could to convince Rishi Sunak (then Chancellor) to fund early support hubs in the Autumn budget. Thousands of Youth Access members, young people and others wrote to their MPs and we had meetings at No.10 Downing Street and with Ministers. We put early support hubs on the map, but sadly, we weren't successful in achieving a commitment.
SUMMER 2022 The next phase of the #FundtheHubs campaign begins...
