Youth in Mind Berkshire Conference

TICKETS for the second running of a mental health and well-being conference are now on sale.

Youth in Mind Berkshire will be held at the University of Reading’s Palmer Building on Tuesday, June 27, and is open to anyone who works with children and young people in statutory bodies, the education sector, voluntary sector organisations, and individuals across the county.

Young people play a key role in the planning and delivery of the event, which is hosted by Mind in Berkshire.

They identify which subjects they would like covered and discuss the challenges they face with speakers.

Half of adult mental health issues are established by the age of 14 and 75% by

24, according to the Mental Health

Foundation.

Jess Willsher, CEO of Oxfordshire Mind said: “Post-pandemic and in the midst of a cost-ofliving crisis, an increasing number of children and young people are having to cope with mental health challenges.

“At a time when it’s more important than ever to understand mental health and wellbeing support from a young person’s perspective, we’re delighted to be hosting our second Youth in Mind Berkshire conference.

“It’s an opportunity for all of us who work with children and young people to come together, learn from experts and each other, and find ways of working creatively together to provide the best support we can.”

Speakers include Dr Luke Beardon, an autism expert and author, and Dr Dimitri Gavriloff, who specialises in behavioural sleep medicine.

Prof Mina Fazel will be joined by young people to discuss the findings of the Oxwell Student Survey, which was completed by 43,000 students at schools across the country.

Berkshire Youth’s CEO Sarah Emery will also share conclusions drawn from their 2023 survey.

Workshops will be delivered by a wide range of organisations, such as Citizens

Advice, Samaritans, Soulscape, No.5, Reading FC Community Trust, Sport in Mind, Brighter Futures for Children and NHS Berkshire Healthcare Children.

Early bird tickets are £29.50 and can be purchased until May 27 – tickets will be on sale for £39.50 thereafter.

The event takes place from

9am-5pm.

■ For more information and bookings, search: Youth in Mind Conference on www.eventbrite.co.uk