Reading youth mental health hub deal closer, charity says

Amanda Stephens, whose son Olly was murdered, has donated to the charity

A young people's counselling charity has said it is entering final negotiations to expand its premises to help cope with soaring demand.

No5 in Reading, Berkshire, said a new drop-in hub would support young people with mental health issues who were awaiting individual counselling.

The charity said its waiting list for counselling stood at 885, three times the number in 2019.

An appeal has so far raised a fifth of the estimated £300,000 hub cost.

The parents of murdered schoolboy Olly Stephens, a former client at No5, have donated to the fundraising campaign.

The 13-year-old was killed in 2021 by two boys and a girl of the same age who had plotted against him on social media.

His mother Amanda said: "Through losing Olly and reading about the mental health crisis that our children are going through and knowing that waiting lists are so, so long, we need something that's a little bit more instantaneous.

"I just think it would take the pressure off the waiting lists because the parents will be desperate to get their child to be able to see somebody and speak to somebody."

Carly Newman from No5 said the new hub would be a "one-stop shop" for young people with mental health issues

No5 operations manager Carly Newman said: "Despite us significantly increasing the amount that we're offering, more and more young people need help."

She said the new hub would be a "one-stop shop" for young people with depression, anxiety and other issues, offering social groups and mentoring without the need for appointments.

The charity's director Alyson Wylding said she was inspired by Ms Newman and other staff who had previously been counselling clients.

She said: "It's a testament to the resolve and capacity of young people. If they have counselling at the right time, they really can fly."

Ms Wylding said the charity was in the final stage of negotiations to open a new floor of its existing building in Oxford Road.