The Barker-Mill Foundation has donated £5,000 towards an arts and cultural activities initiative which aims to have a positive impact on young Hampshire people’s psychological health and emotional wellbeing.
The ICE Project is a collaboration between Hampshire Cultural Trust and Hampshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), working together with 25 partners and 133 young people on a county-wide programme. The funds from the Barker-Mill Foundation were the final amount needed to make the project a reality this year.
There will be a range of groups taking part in the activities from across Hampshire, such as young people referred directly from CAMHS as well as vulnerable young people more likely to develop mental health issues and attending youth organisations. Arts activities programmed as part of The ICE Project will also be available to young people in schools and promoted though CAMHS campaigns aimed at the general public.
Charlotte Slinger, Community Projects Manager for Hampshire Cultural Trust, said: “We know through experience that participating in the arts brings psychological benefits for many people such as increasing confidence, self-esteem and social skills. It also helps individuals to express and manage their emotions. For young people it is vital for them to have somewhere where they feel comfortable to express themselves to help them manage their emotional wellbeing at a time when pressures on our young people are extremely high.”
Tim Jobling, Trustee at the Barker-Mill Foundation said: “Based on a set of principles to inspire, create and exchange (ICE) the project is a wonderful initiative for the young people of Hampshire that the Barker-Mill Foundation had to support in line with the values of the Barker-Mill family.”
For further information about The ICE Project, visit https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/social-impact/ice-project