NHS Discovery College launches in Bedfordshire and Luton to give support to young people

Free workshops to provide life skills and promote mental wellbeing are being provided by the NHS for children and young people across Bedfordshire and Luton.

The area’s first online Discovery College (DisCo) is being launched by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), which provides Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across the county.

It will be open to anyone up to the age of 18 living in Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton and provide courses and workshops shaped in partnership with young people.

The college will provide practical support to help maintain good mental health and learn skills that will help with day-to-day challenges. All workshops will be delivered by friendly tutors and designed to be informal and engaging.

A launch session for the pilot project is being held on Monday, October 18, from 4-6pm and will explore what DisCo means. A detailed prospectus with a range of creative engagement modules will also be rolled out over the coming months.

“Being young can be tough at times and we want to make sure a new form of support is there for children and young people who need it,” said Shiblu Miah, the Trust’s CAMHS DisCo lead, who grew up in Luton and is a former pupil at Icknield High School in the town.

“We want it to be accessible, friendly and practical – with an ethos of mental health hope and resilience. We are here for any children or young people in the county who need us – you don’t have to be using NHS services to be a DisCo student.”

The Trust also provides a Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health Recovery College which provides similar free help and support for any adults living or working across Bedfordshire and Luton.

Spaces are limited to 25 for the DisCo launch event – with priority given to interested children and young people.

Contact [email protected] for more information.