The Peel Group Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership with Isle Listen, a charitable initiative providing vital early intervention mental health support and training in schools, the workplace and community.

Established in 2019 and based on the Isle of Man, Isle Listen aims to remove the stigma that surrounds mental health and for young people on the Island to feel emotionally empowered and effectively supported with their mental health. Their confidential, one-to-one listening service is currently delivered by a team of five Wellbeing Practitioners in all six secondary schools on the Island, and provides a safe, non-judgemental space for young people who want to talk about anything that is impacting their mental health, including academic pressures, family issues, low self-esteem and friendship concerns.

In the 2021/22 academic year, Isle Listen supported 328 young people in schools on the Island through their one-to-one listening service - 65% of students accessing the service were seeking support around worry, self-esteem and low mood. Isle Listen’s wider school-based service also delivered 580 hours of its mental health education programme equating to over 30,000 student interactions via PHSE and assemblies.

The Peel Group Foundation wanted to help further enable Isle Listen to equip more of the Island’s young people with the skills and resilience to navigate the mental health and emotional challenges of 21st Century life.

Enabling a further 30-40 students on the Isle of Man to receive the support they need

Through support available via The Peel Group Foundation, a grant has been gifted to recruit an additional full-time Wellbeing Practitioner known as a “listener” for the current academic year. The recruitment of this role will enable a further 30-40 students on the Isle of Man to receive the support they need and through education, early intervention and prevention skills, help alleviate pressure on statutory health services. 

Andrea Chambers, Isle Listen Chief Executive said: “We are thrilled to have received this generous grant from The Peel Group Foundation which will directly increase the number of young people in secondary schools we can support.

“We saw a 30% increase in the number of young people accessing the service during the 2021/22 academic year, and around 10% were also accessing CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) or were on their waiting list. Like The Peel Group Foundation, we strive to positively impact the lives of young people and empower them to have greater capacity for learning, improving life transitions. In 2021/22, we supported 328 young people via our listening service, and this much-needed grant will enable us to see a further 30-40 young people in schools during the next academic year.”

Helping provide the tools for children to cope with a range of challenges 

Kate Holland, a member of The Peel Group Foundation Council said: “We are privileged and proud to be able to support Isle Listen to extend their one-to-one listening services to support more young people on the Isle of Man.

“Young people are facing more pressures than ever before and by embedding mental health education at an early age, it will help provide the tools for children to cope with a range of challenges as well as most fundamentally having someone there to listen and care.

“The dedicated and meaningful work carried out by Isle Listen very much aligns with The Peel Group Foundation’s aims to support young lives, particularly those that suffer hardship or day to day challenges.”

Established and led by the Whittaker Family, The Peel Group Foundation was launched to provide financial and non-financial support in alignment with The Peel Group’s business activities by giving back to the communities in which they operate.

To find out more about Isle Listen, the work that they do and how you can support, you can visit their website here.