Our Youth Development Workers Kirstyn Cameron and Shelby Johnson looks at the importance for young people to have positive connections during this lockdown period.

It’s so important for young people to have positive connections with people outside their house at the moment. Although we can’t do this face-to-face, we can still have a group online which we’re doing three times a week just now.

It gives the young people some routine, fun activities to take their mind off the situation.

The group gives them a space to share their thoughts and experiences and they are able to support one another.

Although they may have contact with friends and family being able to do it in group of their peers with shared experiences is important.

We’ve had conversations about worries regarding not being able to get medication for instance and having youth workers there meant we were able to deal with those worries.

The groups are uplifting, we have lots of laughter. Often people come on a bit flat or saying they are tired even if they’ve not done very much that day.

At the end though, the young people are laughing, smiling and energised.

Supporting young people

Online youth activity means we are able to help support young people through this difficult time. Also, it helps to minimise the negative impact coronavirus and lockdown is having.

We can have some fun, talk through their worries and stop them feeling quite so lonely and alone.

Continuing some kind of support, even if it’s online, helps us continue the work we were doing and the relationships we had.

For instance, developing young people’s confidence. For a lot of our young people getting to the door of the group was the hardest bit and we don’t want to lose that connection.

For some young people Zoom/remote support has had it’s advantages. Young people can take part in activity while still in the comfort of their home and family when joining a group might have been a bit difficult.

We’re hoping once our groups restart they will be confident about coming along.

The groups and support online give parents a bit of space knowing their son or daughter has something to occupy themselves with.

At a time when the pressures on parents has hugely increased whether they are key workers, trying to work from home AND home-school those few hours make a big difference.

For more information and to join our Youth Groups, please email Kirstyn at kcameron@epilepsyscotland.org.uk for our Edinburgh Youth Group or email Shelby at sjohnson@epilepsyscotland.org.uk for our Glasgow Youth Group.