A community youth mental health service in Sutherland Shire is celebrating 10 years of supporting young people.
Miranda's headspace works with 12-25 year-olds. It is operated by Stride and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. The centre provides free and confidential assistance covering mental and physical health, work and study support, and alcohol and other drug concerns.
Community Engagement Officer Amy Lloyd, said the event was a milestone. "In the beginning we were very fortunate to be the only mental health service in the area," Ms Lloyd said. "We are proud to say we work with other youth services and schools, every step of the way. Post-COVID-19, we have really grown, and now provide a lot of social opportunities."
These include social groups and a drop-in space. "In the past two years our centre has completely transformed - it's new, fresh and youth friendly," Ms Lloyd said. "We got a lot of feedback from our community about what our centre should look like, and we collaborated with our young people."
Ms Lloyd said more youth were seeking support. "We are noticing support is needed - whether it's for high school students as young as 12 who are trying to make the transition or people leaving school," she said.
"We are focusing on our social groups. Every month we run a LGBTQIA+ group for 17-25 year-olds, and numbers have been fantastic for that. A lot of the young people who access our centre do belong to the LGBTQIA+ community. We do movie clubs and work and study support, all which promote socialisation."
Centre Manager Bruno Giunta said in 2023, headspace Miranda supported more than 700 young people. "We have observed that a significant proportion of young individuals seeking support are experiencing feelings of sadness or depression, accounting for 32 per cent of cases, alongside anxiety, which represents almost 28 per cent of our clients," he said. "This highlights the pressing need for early intervention and support, particularly during the formative years of adolescence, when the majority of our clients are between 12-17."
Ms Lloyd said the anniversary was also an important one for staff, who have helped make a positive difference in young people's lives. "Ten years is a big achievement for us - it's a celebration of what we have achieved so far and what we're looking to achieve in the future," Ms Lloyd said.
Celebrations are on April 19 from 1pm-4pm at Cronulla Park. There will be free food and drinks, games, activities, prizes, music and more. The event coincides with NSW Youth Week (April 11-21).
