This initiative is not only a shining example of community involvement, but it also demonstrates the need for collective effort in addressing the mental health crisis among the younger generation. The establishment of EHMF signifies a collective effort to bridge the gap in mental health services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health challenges among young people, and EHMF’s collaboration with local authorities and the national health system is a testament to the importance of community involvement in addressing this issue.

The fund is a beacon of hope, demonstrating the profound difference that dedicated support can make in the lives of young individuals facing mental health challenges.

The work by Peter and his team at the Elliott Holmes Memorial Fund is fantastic. Whilst it has come from the toughest set of circumstances, it has enabled young people in Gravesend to self-refer and seek timely, meaningful and longer-term support for their mental health; especially those in crisis.

The results to date speak for themselves but this service will be of huge benefit to those young people in need and will support them and by virtue of this; their family and wider support network. Peter has now presented on multiple occasions to officers and staff from the Local Policing Teams, Child Protection teams and neighbourhood roles at North Kent to explain what support is available.

This provides a valuable tool for officers to help young people they come across that need swift intervention and help, and I am aware that officers have already managed to signpost people to EHMF despite having only just been educated around the services. I am extremely grateful to Peter for his time and work he does in the borough.

Having access to this service for my young daughter who had reached crisis point with self harm and her mental health was an absolute lifeline. It’s a tragic shame that this sort of immediate support isn’t available through the NHS but thank goodness it it available through ehmf.

My dad originally suggested I try counselling and I was a bit scared but after the first couple of sessions I felt relaxed and I began to talk. I can honestly say it has helped me loads and my confidence is higher and my anxiety is less.

You are not alone, you may feel it but help is available and once you take that first step you will feel so much better for not bottling it up. Speak to someone, don’t suffer alone.

You will never know the positive impact you have had on our family. Thank you for your support. Anything we can do to help local young people to obtain the support that is needed.

The referral process was very easy, and we were kept up to date all the way through.  The counsellors that worked with our students have gone above and beyond to accommodate appointments and times that fit best with our students’ needs.

There have been significant changes in our students, they have learnt some very useful strategies to help them cope.  We cannot reiterate enough, how grateful we are for their support.

Thank you Peter and your amazing team.

Your service has been an absolute godsend for my son. We were able to access support very swiftly and smoothly, due to my son, having autism, it was vital, the counsellor understood his needs and how he expresses himself.

The counsellor, has been so calm and collected and allowed my son to verbalise his feelings around, losing his best friend with such ease, I as his parent struggled to get him to rationalise his feelings. She immediately built up a good trusting relationship with him. I was so grateful for this service to become available, it is age-appropriate, local, and accessible.

Thank you for everything you do!

I have suffered with my mental health for many years so seeking help was a really hard thing for me to do as my suffering had become a normality. I was so scared to confide in someone and feared I would be judged. Now having completed my sessions, I feel like a different person. I feel stronger and more optimistic about the future. This has completely changed my life for the better and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.

The Elliot Holmes Memorial Fund was very good when I needed it. The Counsellor was very supportive and understanding of my problems that I was going through at the time and it was just nice to go to a safe place and not have the fear of getting judged and I was given good advice about how I should cope. I liked how quick the response was when I reached out to the Fund.

I feel more able to cope since having counselling. My Counsellor was nice and easy to talk to.

We have been fortunate enough to have used the charity for a family member, and they are benefiting massively, so a huge thank you and big respect to everyone involved.

I cannot thank you enough for helping my son. It is so very distressing not knowing who to turn to and getting no where with the GP’s. Elliott would be so very proud of all you are doing.

I want to just say what you are doing following a tragedy is super!! Without trying to sound cheesy or cliche, you are inspirational. What you are doing in Elliott’s memory is priceless.

We are incredibly grateful for the excellent support EHMF are offering and providing to the youngsters of Gravesham. While we are extremely proud of the high quality of pastoral support we offer our students in school, it is wonderful that our students can now also access EHMF’s remarkable service should they need or wish to.

The support I received has hugely changed my perspective on past events, which has helped to rebuild foundations for my future.