Mental health sanctuary opens in Luton for teens in crisis

Mind BLMK has opened the doors to a new young person’s sanctuary in Luton, giving teenagers a safe space to talk about their mental health.

The Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes branch of the charity officially opened the service on Monday (March 20) and was joined by Rachel Hopkins, MP for Luton South.

The free drop-in service, which is based at the ResoLUTIONs Hub in Castle Street, is the first in the town to provide face-to-face mental health support to those aged 14 to 17.

The sanctuary is a safe and non-judgmental space that young people can visit if they are in crisis or in mental distress in the evenings.

The project was made possible through a partnership between the charity and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and East London Foundation Trust (ELFT).

There is no need to book in advance and teenagers who arrive will be met by a trained mental health worker. They will listen and help them to identify ways to address the problems they face.

Jo Meehan, ELFT Associate Director for Bedfordshire & Luton CAMHS, said: “The sanctuary model has been co-produced with young people who use mental health services to ensure it provides the help, support, and environment that works for them when they need urgent mental health care.”

She added: “ We are here whenever young people need to reach out for urgent help and support.”

Alessia Newman, operational crisis service manager at Mind BLMK said that the team was proud to provide this support. She explained: “The Young Person’s Sanctuaries are a key element in the new look structure by providing fast, personal help without the need for long referral waits.”

Alessia continued: “We hope that this new service will give young people who are struggling with their mental health, a safe space to access confidential and non-judgemental support.”

The service is currently available for your people four days in the week – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, between 4pm and 10pm, with plans to soon expand to seven days a week.