New not for profit helps to improve children’s wellbeing in Leeds

Shine Bright is a new, not for profit, Community Interest company based in Leeds, established with the aim of improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children, young people and their families, through the use of an evidenced-based peer support model known as WRAP The Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) | Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery. 

Following the pandemic, the reported rates of poor mental health and wellbeing resilience within young people (and also adults) have increased, placing additional and considerable strain on mainstream support agencies. The self-reported rates on indicators such as self-esteem, self-advocacy, resilience and loneliness have further increased since 2020. Therefore, there is a need to provide effective (and evidenced-based) early intervention approaches to reduce the risk of mental health crises and emotional distress within our children and young people, and to reduce the pressure on specialist services.   

As a result, Director Nicola Swales has been working to establish Shine Bright to bring skills, experience and approach together to support children, young people and their families across Leeds.

Shine Bright would like to offer further WRAP provision for children, young people, transitional age adults and their families in Leeds. Part of the offer includes the delivery of WRAP-accredited training to other interested organisations to benefit from the WRAP model, in partnership with Shine Bright.

Shine Bright have already helped to grow the Barnardo’s Bradford WRAP service in operation since 2014 through the provision of training to their staff and partners, a service established by Nicola when employed by them. Shine Bright believe Leeds could benefit from a similar WRAP provision and have all the skills and experience necessary yet need the support from funders, sponsors and donors to make this early help model a reality.

Shine Bright’s next goal is to locate potential funders, business sponsors and donors with a mutual interest in the fields of children and young people’s mental health, emotional resilience, early help and prevention and peer support. 

If you know of any potential funding stream you believe may be relevant, either locally focused or citywide, please do get in touch: nicola.swales@shinebright.org.uk