Support available for young people during exam season

Exam season is well underway, bringing with it the inevitable stress and anxieties associated with A-levels, GCSEs and SATs.

You won’t be alone as it’s natural to feel overwhelmed at this time of year, but help is at hand.

Based on Rochdale’s Drake Street, wellbeing service #Thrive offers support for children and young people up to the age of 19 who are experiencing emotional health and wellbeing issues.

The service, which launched in July 2016, offers several strategies for young people under stress is a partnership between Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, Link4Life and Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind.

Designed to be a short-term intervention service, #Thrive is funded by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group and Rochdale Borough Council.

The service also works alongside local schools, running workshops for GCSE anxieties and pressures offering advice on managing feelings and emotions, stresses, time management and how to revise in a smarter way.

A spokesman for the service said: “We have a range of solution-focused strategies which we use to tackle a child or young person’s issues.

“We work together to deal with a problem in a more positive manner and better coping mechanisms to overcome what is troubling someone.”

#Thrive offers drop-in sessions for families and individuals on Tuesdays and Thursdays:

• Aged 8 to 19 years - Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 4pm and 8pm (last session at 7.30pm). If you are under 13 years, please take a parent or carer with you.
• Under 8 years: Thursdays, between 9.30am and 12pm (last session at 11.30am)

Sessions are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

You must live, or be registered with a GP practice (doctor), in Heywood, Middleton or Rochdale.

If you need support outside of these times, you can contact #Thrive by calling 0161 716 2844 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

#Thrive is based at 48-50 Drake Street, Rochdale, OL16 1NT.