Be Me Project supports those who are struggling with emotional difficulties and low self esteem. Our program of courses aims to foster positive mental wellbeing, raise self esteem and build confidence and resilience. Participants are encouraged to find, celebrate and embrace their identity, to be equipped to cope with the world’s pressures and to understand and appreciate that they are uniquely wonderfully made for a purpose.
Many of the beneficiaries battle with self-worth and make unhelpful/unwise life choices, often following the pattern of behaviour of their parents, siblings or the community in which they live. For others, peer pressure, social media, television and life’s circumstances contribute to their view of their self-worth. So many have little expectations of themselves and have little hope for the future. Be Me Project believes that by investing in these participants they will have a far better chance of breaking negative thought patterns and building self esteem and a sense of purpose.
The organisation was founded in 2014 and our Head Office is located in Dorking in Surrey. Be Me Project became a registered charity in 2017 and is primarily run on a voluntary basis. We currently operate local hubs in Surrey, Kent and Cumbria and hope to expand to other regions in the future. Our long term vision is to operate on a National or even International level.
We have had the privilege to work with a wide spectrum of beneficiaries ranging from young girls in secondary school to young mums and older women within our communities. We have recently started a mentoring course to include boys and hope to further expand our services to boys in the future. Our courses are run in secondary schools, community centres and GP surgeries.
This project will make a significant difference to the lives of vulnerable individuals and communities through running courses that will support beneficial in a number of ways:
Changes for participants will include:
Overall, this work can serve as an early intervention to flag any more serious issues that need addressing. Skilled staff will immediately report and signpost onto the appropriate partner for example school staff, CAMHS, C-SPA, ESDAS, GP surgery. We are clear in our delivery from the outset that staff and volunteers do not deliver specialist mental health support as part of this work and are not qualified to do so.
For schools and referring partners:
Some individuals feel confident enough to go on and share their journey with new groups. Others have become valued members of the volunteer and staff team facilitating groups and offering their voice and experience to the charity.
