Camden young people lead campaign to help under 25s access crucial healthcare
‘Look after YOU’ is the new campaign created by young people in Camden to encourage other local young people to get the healthcare they need, when they need it.
Launching this week, the campaign aims to reduce health inequalities in the borough after research showed that many young people are unaware of how or where to access health services, particularly for mental health and sexual health support.
It’s been co-produced by ‘Camden Youth: Tell Them’ – a group of young people from Camden aged 16-23 who have developed the campaign from research stages to creative concepts, and tested ideas with their target audience.
Bus stop advertisements, TikTok videos, and Instagram reels created by the group will be shared to increase awareness of free health services available in Camden, including sexual health, mental health, substance misuse, and GP services.
Camden Youth: Tell Them, said: “We know that there are so many services to help under 25s in Camden – we met them to create our campaign – but that young people don’t always know about them. Young people can also be put off getting healthcare because they feel embarrassed, are worried about costs or their parents finding out.
“We hope that Look after YOU not only helps Camden young people to easily find the free healthcare they need, when they need it, but that they feel comfortable and confident using these services.”
In Camden, it’s our priority to make sure the right support is in place for young people to flourish. It’s fantastic to see a campaign that uses young people’s voices to send an important message to their peers and tackle the stigma around accessing crucial support for mental and physical health issues.
We know that many young people may be hesitant to access the healthcare they need due to worries over cost, confidentiality, or judgement. The ‘Camden Youth: Tell Them’ group helps us take a new approach to ensure under 25’s in Camden feel confident to use the free and friendly health services available to them locally, putting their perspectives and experiences at the very forefront.
The ‘Look After YOU’ campaign is a powerful and important project to highlight the challenges young people face in accessing health services and support. Well done to everyone involved and this work will continue to play an important role in shaping our services in Camden.
Visit the Camden Rise website to find out more about a range of health services available for young people in Camden. Watch their Instagram reel here.
The ‘Look After YOU’ campaign was developed following key recommendations highlighted in the 2023 annual public health report on adolescent health for Camden Council. Last year, the ‘Camden Youth: Tell Them’ group presented findings from this report as a graphic novel titled ‘Step into Our Shoes’.
‘Camden Youth: Tell Them’ is part of a paid training programme for young people working, living, or going to school in Camden.