STRIDES offers mental health support to people struggling with their eating. At STRIDES, a team of trained clinicians help people to build the skills they need to regulate their eating, manage difficult emotions, and improve their body image in the long-term.

You need to speak to your GP and ask them to refer you to STRIDES. STRIDES encourages anyone who’s aged 18 to 25 and struggling with their eating to do this – you don’t need to be sure that you have an eating disorder, and if STRIDES isn’t the right service for you they can help signpost you to the right support.

STRIDES doesn’t work with people with high levels of medical risk relating to their eating disorder (for example, people who are severely underweight or who have abnormal blood test results because of their eating disorder). They work with Vincent Square Eating Disorder Service and GPs to make sure these people get the support that’s right for them.

Find out more about STRIDES on the CNWL website.

This service is for people between the ages of 14 and 35 who are experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Your GP needs to refer you to this service. You can find out more about the Harrow and Hillingdon Early Intervention Service on the CNWL website.

This service provides a range of talking therapies to people who are registered with a GP in Harrow. You can get help in different ways, including: a self-help workbook with the support of a therapist; as an online course; through one-to-one appointments in person, over the phone, or through video; or as part of a group.

You can refer yourself to this service online. GPs and other professionals can also refer you.

There is more information on the CNWL Talking Therapies website.

This is a community drop-in service that offers friendly support to people who are experiencing crisis or mental health distress.

The Cove can support you to reduce your anxiety in the moment and make a plan to support your mental health (and reduce the likelihood of reaching crisis point again). They can offer advice and signposting, peer support, groups, and one-to-one support in a safe chill out space with a hot drink and snack.

You can drop in to the Cove when it’s open. You don’t need a referral or appointment, but other NHS professionals can refer you.

Find information on the Cove (including opening hours and location) on the CNWL website.

Most schools in Harrow have Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners who can support young people with their mental health. They work as part of the Mental Health Support Teams in schools.

The Julian Campbell Foundation offers a mentoring programme for young people aged between 11 and 25 who are struggling to manage their mood or need some extra support to deal with emotional or stressful situations. You don’t need a diagnosis to be part of the mentoring programme. You can get in touch yourself by emailing them.

Find out more about the Julian Campbell Foundation on their website.

Arts For Life Project is based on the Harrow and Hillingdon border, but accepts referrals from throughout London and surrounding areas.

Arts for Life Project offer one-to-one, person-centred therapeutic support for young people aged between 6 and 25. Anyone aged 16 and above can refer a young person through an online form.

Creative Crew is a weekly project for young people aged 6 and above who love the arts and are able to engage in a group setting. It allows young people to engage with the therapeutic power of the arts within a group. Through fun, relaxed activities, young people develop emotional intelligence and strengthen mental health. Anyone aged 16 and above can refer a young person through an online form.

Skills For Life is a course-based programme that helps young people aged 6 to 25 develop essential life skills, including technical, physical, wellbeing, and communication skills. Young people are put into suitable groups for the programme. Anyone aged 16 and above can refer a young person through an online form.

Together Thrive uses three different types of support to help young people aged 8 and above with complex challenges (including mental health concerns) progress back into society. It includes support at home, clinical therapeutic support, and mentor support. Young people aged 14 and above can refer themselves through the online form; parents and professionals can also refer through the same form.

The project also has programmes for parents and carers.

Find out more about Arts For Life Project on their website.

Harrow Horizons is an emotional wellbeing service for families. They support children and young people aged between 4 and 18 (up to 25 if the young person has a special educational need or disability). You need to live in Harrow and go to school or college in Harrow (unless you’re a looked-after child or have an EHCP).

Harrow Horizons work with young people with mild to moderate mental health needs and offer evidence-based individual and group support, including individual support for young people struggling with anxiety, low mood, or behavioural difficulties, and support for parents.

Find out more about Harrow Horizons on the Anna Freud website.

HeadsUp Harrow is a partnership of five local charities. It offers mental health services to young people across Harrow who face additional barriers to support.

Their services include support from therapists and counsellors, peer support, mentoring, activities, and courses.

Their services are available for young people aged 11 to 25 who live or go to school in Harrow and:

• have a diagnosis of ADHD or autism
• are LGBTQ+ or questioning their sexuality and/or gender
• are from a refugee or asylum-seeking family (or are an unaccompanied minor)
• self-harm or have experience of sexual exploitation, abuse, or neglect

You can refer yourself or a professional (like a teacher or doctor) can refer you on the Mind in Harrow website.

Find out more about HeadsUp Harrow on the Mind in Harrow website.

Ignite Youth offer 1:1 and small ground mentoring to young people who live in Harrow. They teach young people skills to cope with stress, support them to set goals, and help them to make changes in their lives.

They accept referrals from social workers, teachers, and other youth work practitioners.

Find out more about mentoring on the Ignite Youth website.

The Wïsh Centre offers therapy to children and young people aged between 12 and 25 (who live, work, or go to school or college in Harrow) who are self-harming or have experiences sexual exploitation of violence.

They also run self-harm peer support groups for young people aged between 13 and 16. The group supports young people so they want to (and are able to) stop self-harming.

They also run an arts based therapy group for young people aged between 16 and 25 and offer four to six sessions with an emotional mental health practitioner.

Parents and carers, teachers, medical professionals, and social workers can refer young people. Young people aged 14 or over can also refer themselves.

The Wïsh Centre do not accept referrals if young people are using class A drugs or have a recent history of violence or exploitation of others. They risk assess referrals if young people have made a recent suicide attempt.

Find out more about The Wïsh Centre and how to refer people.

Kids Can Achieve offer after school and holiday activities and 1:1 activities for disabled young people.

They also have a family service, where workers provide information, signposting, and referrals. Kids Can Achieve offer counselling and creative therapy for people who have autism, ADHD, or a learning disability (and their family members).

Find out more on the Kids Can Achieve website.

Winston’s Wish offer one-off or ongoing advice, guidance, and bereavement support for young people up to the age of 25 (and their families). They have a helpline, which is open between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.

They also have online peer support groups (for young people aged between 7 and 12, for young people aged between 13 and 17, and for young people aged between 18 and 25, as well as for parents and carers), which are overseen by Bereavement Support Practitioners. They’re informal; young people can just go to one or keep going every month. You can get in touch and book a space on these yourself through the Winston’s Wish website.

Winston’s Wish also run drop-in sessions that give families and professionals the chance to to find out more about their services. These were suspended due to COVID but are beginning to restart. You can find details on the Winston’s Wish website.

Bereavement care offer a range of serviced for children, young people, and adults. They have a free visiting scheme where people can talk in confidence with a trained volunteer, support programme for children and young people, and friendly support groups.

Find out more about Bereavement Care on their website.

Rescue and Response is delivered in partnership between four organisations and is funded across London by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

It involves one to one support, specialist support for young women, and family and housing support. The service includes a structured programme around topics like healthy relationships, violence against women and girls, identity and equality, trama, and safety planning. Professionals can refer through an online form.

Find out more about Rescue and Response on the Abianda website.

This service is for young women aged between 11 and 18 (up to 21 for care leavers) who have experienced (or are at risk of) any form of gendered violence, including domestic violence, sexual violence, child sexual exploitation, gang associated violence, forced marriage, and so on.

The service welcomes trans and intersex young women. It also welcomes non-binary young people who feel the service would best meet their needs and experiences.

They offer advocacy, group work, and counselling.

Find out more about Women and Girls Network.

Only Connect offer keyword support to people who are released from prison to help make the transition of leaving prison as smooth as possible. They support people with things like employment, housing, and opportunities to help them remain crime-free.

Find out more about Only Connect.

This service is designed to complement existing local services and fill gaps in provision. It provides traditional one-to-one, confidential support to young people aged between 16 and 24 who are associated with or involved in gangs and are at significant risk of harm from gang activity, or pose risk to themselves or others. They consider referrals outside the age range on a case-by-case basis. 

Find out more about London Gang Exit.

Ignite Youth provide support and opportunities for these young people in Harrow.

Visit the Ignite Youth website to find out how to get in touch about this support.

The Proud Trust is based in Manchester but has an online web chat. You can also use their website to find your nearest LGBT+ Youth Group.

Find out more on the Proud Trust website.

Young Roots supports refugees and asylum seekers in Brent* who are aged between 11 and 25.  They have some groups for young women only to provide a safe space for those who feel less comfortable accessing mixed-gender activities.

They run an advice and support hub with youth and sporting activities alongside one to one casework support, access to legal advice, and access to counselling. They also offer support with English language skills and trips for young refugees.

You can get in touch yourself through a form on their website. You can also email or phone them. Find out more about Young Roots on their website.

* and neighbouring boroughs

Freedom From Torture offers trauma-focused therapy to help with the effects of trauma, including complex trauma, depression, and other mental health needs. They also offer further services, including creative group activities, social groups, and physical therapy to help survivors rebuild their lives. They offer practical advice for survivors who are seeking asylum.

You can get in touch yourself by filling out a form on the Freedom from Torture website.

Compass Harrow work with children and young people who need support around their own or another person’s drug or alcohol use. They accept referrals for young people under 18 (and can then work with young people until they turn 24).

You can get in touch through their referral form, by calling them, or by dropping into their hub during opening hours.

Find out more about Compass Harrow on their website.

This project offers specialist advocacy support and counselling for Black and Minoritised young women* who have experienced (or are at risk of) any form of gendered violence, including domestic violence, sexual violence, child sexual exploitation, gang associated violence, forced marriage, and so on.

* This is defined as including BME, LGBT+ and Disabled young women. They welcome trans and intersex young women. They also welcome non-binary young people who feel the service would best meet their needs and experiences.

Find out more about CouRAGEus.

This service offers therapy for young people aged 4 and above. Therapists work with young people with art making, play, drama, and talking as appropriate to help the young person better understand their feelings and improve their self-esteem.

Young people must be living in a safe and stable enough environment – the perpetrator can no longer be living with the family (or in a relationship with the mother or carer) and any contact must be deemed to be safe. 

There is a waiting list for referrals. 

Find out more about Solace Children’s Creative Therapies.

This service offers confidential, one-to-one support for young people aged between 11 and 18 (up to 25 years old for people with additional needs) who use violence or abuse and want to change their behaviour and improve their awareness of healthy communication and relationships.

Parents, carers, and professionals can refer a young person. The organisation prefers referrals from professionals if possible.

Find out more about DVIP YUVA.

Honeypot offer a range of services to support young carers aged between 5 and 12, including respite breaks for children, social and emotional active learning breaks, online workshops, face-to-face workshops, and financial support through a wellbeing fund. 

Find out more on the Honeypot website.

Freedom From Torture offers trauma-focused therapy to help with the effects of trauma, including complex trauma, depression, and other mental health needs. They also offer further services, including creative group activities, social groups, and physical therapy to help survivors rebuild their lives. They offer practical advice for survivors who are seeking asylum.

You can get in touch yourself by filling out a form on the Freedom from Torture website.

You can use the Young Harrow Foundation’s website to find activities including art and creative activities, cultural activities, and sport or physical activities. You can also search for uniformed youth groups (like Scouts and Guides) and youth clubs.

Find activities on the Young Harrow Foundation website.

Harrow Youth Stop provides free careers information, advice, guidance, and support services for unemployed young people aged between 16 and 19 (up to 24 years old for those with special educational needs). They offer one-to-one support.

Find out more about harrow Youth Stop on their website.