Online community support for young people launched in Orkney

The Council’s Educational Psychology Service has teamed up with Togetherall to set up a safe, anonymous online support service 24/7 for young people in Orkney.

Togetherall is a safe, online community where people support each other anonymously to improve mental health and wellbeing.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 people will suffer with mental health problems at some point in their lives. Talking about mental health, or just feeling overwhelmed by everyday worries and concerns, can be difficult, especially for young people.

The Educational Psychology Service has liaised with Togetherall to help establish safe, anonymous online support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The online support platform was launched on Thursday 19 August and means young people aged 16 to 19 across Orkney can now contact trained professionals at Togetherall, to seek support and guidance, a choice of safe therapeutic services, including online self-help courses. This means anyone who may be struggling with mental health, distress or anxiety can get support at a time that suits them. Togetherall has already helped over 200,000 people around the UK and has very positive reviews from current users.

If you are aged 16-19 year visit www.togetherall.com click 'Register' and 'My area is registered', and then enter your postcode to gain access.

When someone joins Togetherall as a new user, they create a username that does not identify them in any way, and the service is completely anonymous.

Orkney Islands Council’s Principal Educational Psychologist, Catherine Lyner, said: “The pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues for our young people, and this is an excellent resource to give them support. We will be making sure that as many young people as possible in Orkney know about Togetherall and the assistance it can provide.”
Togetherall is now working with a third of local authorities in Scotland, supporting the mental health of its residents.