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Friday and Saturday nights can be rather busy in any accident and emergency department, as you can imagine. The medical team are looking after numerous patients with a whole host of injuries and conditions. Whilst the doctors, nurses and support staff work tirelessly to keep wait times down and make sure everyone is seen to, Starting Point have trained, equipped and are running a team of volunteer Navigators keen to relieve some of the pressure by simply having a chat with the young people who attend A&E.

On Friday and Saturday nights, between 8:00 in the evening and midnight, the Navigators are on hand. Any young person aged between 13 and 24 who attend A&E for a range of reasons can have a confidential and non-judgmental conversation with a friendly face. They also can’t be missed – wearing bright orange polo shirts! Whether the young person wants to talk about why they are in A&E, what their favourite hobby is or what they want to do in the future, the Navigators are around to have a chat.

These specially trained volunteers also have access to multiple local services and groups within the local community. Starting Point have got good relationship with organisations across the Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire areas and these organisations can be discussed with a Navigator. The Navigator can also signpost the young people onto these organisations and one of the team will be able to journey with the young person as they access the relevant support or community group.

The service is already proving useful as the Navigators have been able to have conversations with young people whilst on shift and young people have been referred when no-one has been on shift onto the Navigator programme by medical staff. These young people have found it beneficial and helpful to have a conversation whilst in hospital and have been able to access support, whether that be through mentoring at Starting Point or other services within the local area.

The programme is now established and the BBC wanted to come and have a look firsthand at what Starting Point had been up to, what being a Navigator involves and the good work it is achieving. Have a watch of the video below, which shows the report that was on BBC South Today.

Do you have capacity to volunteer one Friday or Saturday evening once every 4-6 weeks? Are you interested in finding out more about the Navigator programme?

Please call Starting Point on 0118 995 2160 or use our Contact Us page to get in contact with one of the team.

Sam (Starting Point’s Project Director) and Tim (RBH Navigator Coordinator) discuss the Navigator programme in a short video below. Check it out and if you think someone else would be interested in the Navigator programme, please do share it with them.

The Navigator programme would not be possible without the support and partnership between Starting Point, the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit, the Royal Berkshire Hospital and all the amazing staff there as well as the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

An honest look at what it is really like for a young person starting their journey into employment.

From October to March 2021, a group of 20 young people in Reading created a documentary giving an insight into the challenges they face on their journey into education and employment.

Through a series of interviews, these young people shared their struggles with gaining access to vital work experience they require in order to apply for jobs. The documentary explores discussions around how at the height of lockdown, many young people found themselves battling with loneliness and other mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, as a direct result of not being able to leave the house or to socialise.

Working with Starting Point and Real Time video, these young people were able to learn new skills to showcase on their CV, such as team work, communication and presentation skills. The support provided by these organisations also allowed these young people to learn more about themselves, specifically how their hobbies and interests provide them with already such valuable transferable skills deemed to be desirable by employers.

The documentary highlights the importance of how one to one mentoring has been crucial for allowing young people to find the confidence to actively seek work, and to ultimately find success and happiness in something they enjoy, whether that be in an internship, a full-time job, or vocational course.

Watch the documentary over at our Action Media site here: actionmedia.uk/untold

This post is written by Ahmad – one of the young people being mentored through our Aspire programme

Today I am writing about social anxiety, a common mental health issue among young people. In simple terms, social anxiety is a fear and nervousness of being evaluated or judged in a negative sense. Most young people like to hang out with friends and go out with mates, but with socially anxious youth, their fear of being judged can hold them back.

The thought process:
A socially anxious person may come across as shy, quiet, unfriendly, nervous, withdrawn and disinterested. But in reality, they will be going through a barrage of thoughts; Does my hair look ok? Should I talk to her/him? Are they talking about me? What are they thinking about me? What if I do something silly or say the wrong thing? These questions might seem illogical to you or me but they can take over a young person’s life.

Triggers/Symptoms:
What are the triggers? Being introduced to new people, a bit of teasing or criticism from someone, being the centre of attention, being tested or watched.

Some symptoms that an anxious person will have are obvious, such as blushing/sweating, shaking/trembling, having palpations and avoiding eye contact in conversations.

At other times, a person may be very anxious or nervous internally, thinking a 1000 thoughts, but don’t show anything externally.

How can you help?
There are few different ways you can help someone going through this. Accepting them as they are and being enduring, patient and kind even when the thoughts seem irrational. When someone is distressed, calmly assuring them that the feelings will pass.

• Giving the young person room or space to express their fears. Listening to them without judging them. Being there for them.
• Suggesting healthy distractions like a walk, reading a book or playing simple games.
• Encouraging them to seek professional help if things are getting really difficult.

This article has been written by one of our young people from Milton Keynes.

Pros from buying from a breeder:

1.  You can see your puppy’s parents so you know how they are going to look like as an adult dog.
2. You know exactly what you’re getting.
3. You have the opportunity to mould your puppy as it grows.
4. If you’re buying from a good breeder it will already come well socialized.
5. Breeders will offer you a genetic health test.
6. Most breeders not only breed for conformation, but for solid temperaments. 
7. Breeders are essential if you are planning to take your dog to the show ring.

Cons for buying from a breeder:

1.  You’re buying a puppy. They are a lot of work just like a human baby.
2. You are responsible for training your puppy.
3. Breeders are usually more expensive than getting your dog from the shelter.
4. Puppies need multiple vet checks and vaccinations during their first year of life
5. Finding a truly reputable breeder that cares more for about the quality than quantity can be difficult.

A word about backyard breeders
Anyone can throw a male and female dog together to produce puppies. This doesn’t mean that they should. When dogs are bred without the proper knowledge of genetics, you often get unhealthy dogs with issues. Most backyard breeders don’t do any research on breeding. They just think that two dogs would pair well together and take it from there. Novice breeders are also unprepared for the amount of work required to care for puppies and the cost of vet care. They may want to watch the miracle of birth. However, once they have ten extra dogs running around making messes and chewing up the carpet, they get overwhelmed. These puppies often end up in shelters. If breeders aren’t breeding to improve the breed standard, they are just adding to the huge pet overpopulation problem.

Puppy mills
Puppy mills are commercial dog-breeding facilities where dogs are simply tools to run a business. I wouldn’t even put them into the category of “breeder.” However, it’s important to understand this awful practice in depth so you don’t unknowingly support it. It is estimated there are over 10,000 puppy mills in the US. Sadly, fewer than 3,000 are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. This means that a lot of abuse goes unchecked. Many puppy mill owners keep their adult dogs in cramped, soiled cages standing on wire so that the urine and feces can fall through the openings. They usually deny them adequate mental stimulation and physical exercise. Many never leave their kennels except to be bred. These dogs are also not given decent veterinary care. They live truly awful lives devoid of kindness or empathy. While the puppies from these dog factories come out looking pristine by the time they reach the customer, they start life in horrible conditions. Many puppies die before they are weaned.

Often, since there is no genetic guarantee, you will find some issues that develop as the puppy gets older due to irresponsible breeding practices, such as bowed legs or hip dysplasia. The adult dogs often never escape; and may eventually be allowed to starve or are killed when they are no longer able to produce puppies to cut down on the cost of feeding them. This practice is illegal. Yet, if you look at past cases of these operations that were blown open by under-cover agents or whistleblowers, it is sadly all too common. Even if the puppy mill follows the rules, they are not required by law to treat these dogs as pets. They are only regulated – often very loosely – by the government to provide for their basic physical needs. If you take issue with dogs not being able to live with a family, but simply living their entire lives in cramped cages used as tools to create a product, then please don’t use your money to support this practice.

Sadly, most pet store puppies come from puppy mills. Please do some research on this before buying your puppy from a pet store to ensure you aren’t supporting this abusive system. If you buy dogs that are bred by people more concerned with turning a quick dollar than furthering the breed, you also contribute to that problem by rewarding the behaviour. If enough people stand up to this practice and they can no longer make a profit, they will stop this abuse. Puppy mills are a horrible place for dogs to spend their lives. We should demand better for these poor animals than simply being puppy factories for the greedy.

10 reasons why you should get a shelter dog:

1.     You save a life – this is maybe the biggest reason of all! By adopting, you’re giving a dog another chance at life. Some have terrible pasts, and have been abused, abandoned or left to fend for themselves on the streets. You are giving a dog a happy and safe home where they can learn to be a dog again!

2.     You won’t be supporting backyard breeders – many dogs are forced to breed as often as possible, and kept under cruel conditions in puppy farms. By choosing to adopt, you are avoiding these organisations and supporting animal welfare in the process.

3. You help stop pet overpopulation – by choosing to adopt rather than go to a shop or breeder for a specific type of pet, you are caring for a dog that already needs support instead of bringing another puppy into the world.

4. You might find your dream pet – with thousands of shelters, there’s bound to be one near you that might currently be home to the dog that is perfect for you and your family. After spending time at the shelter, you may fall in love with a completely different dog to the one you thought you wanted.

5. You gain the advantages of an adult dog – many dogs in shelters are adolescent or adult dogs rather than young puppies. But this means they’re likely to already know some basic commands or be housetrained, making your life a lot easier when you bring your dog home!

6. You get the lifetime support of shelter employees – no one knows more about the dog you are adopting than the people working at the shelter each day providing care and support for them. They will be able to assist you with the move and help you carry on any training or behaviour work.

7. You support a valuable community and charitable institution – it’s always good to show support and help out a local organization, and these shelters are providing a valuable service to the dogs in their care so by adopting one, you’re also helping provide for the ones left at the shelter.

8. You adopt a healthy pet – by adopting from a shelter, you can be assured that your dog has had excellent medical treatment, received any necessary vaccinations and may have even already been sterilised or microchipped, meaning it’s a perfectly healthy pet. 

9. You encourage others to do the same – people are sometimes wary of new ventures, but it only takes one of their friends to adopt a shelter dog and they’ll be assured it can go smoothly.

10. You’ll be rewarded with so much love and gratitude – many dogs up for adoption just want to find a loving home and their forever family, and are more than willing to show you bundles of love if you take the time to get to know them properly. Knowing you’ve saved a dog from an unhappy background brings eternal gratitude from your new loyal companion.