Bishop’s Stortford Youth Project is a registered charity, established in 2013, that is passionate about helping local young people.
We offer innovative youth services in our local area, aiming to respond to the local needs and to help young people flourish and grow.
Bishop’s Stortford Youth Project (BSYP) currently provides a safe space, Thirst Youth Cafe, for young people to meet and make friends helping to reduce loneliness and social isolation by providing fun activities which increase happiness, wellbeing and mental health.
We also run a targeted mental wellbeing project, a mentoring project in local secondary schools, school holiday activities and we offer opportunities for youth volunteering and social action.
We provide access to experienced youth workers who are positive role models and can provide advice and support, if required, to help young people learn life skills, develop their potential and gain greater independence as they transition to adulthood.
We are youth led and are proud to welcome, engage, encourage and empower young people to reach their full potential
We currently support over 500 young people aged 11 – 18 in Bishop’s Stortford and the surrounding areas.
Young people today struggle with a wide range of pressures, including loneliness and social isolation, deprivation of income and time, school stress, bullying, body image issues, mental health and the pressure created by social media.
37% of teens have experienced a mental health issue, 50% have been bullied and 65% say that loneliness is a serious issue for young people.
Although Bishop’s Stortford can be seen as an affluent town with successful schools, it is also a hot spot for Anti-social behaviour in Hertfordshire. There are pockets within the town which are ranked in the 20% most deprived areas in UK and Bishop’s Stortford Central is the 2nd most deprived area in East Hertfordshire (2019).
Deprivation can affect young people’s development – physically and emotionally – creating a cycle of disadvantage that repeats through generations.