Ep.41 It's Ok To Not Be Ok: No. 5’s Support for Young People in Reading

With Abbie Trussler

Episode Description:

In this episode, Abbie Trussler, the Communications Officer at No. 5 Young People, discusses this local charity in Reading that provides free counselling and support services to young people.

Abbie shares her personal journey with No. 5, starting as a 14-year-old using their counselling services, then volunteering, and eventually joining the staff team.

She discusses the organization’s history, its services, and its impact on the community.

The interview delves into the challenges faced by young people today, particularly concerning school, the impact of COVID-19, and the pressures of the online world. Abbie also provides valuable insights on how adults can better communicate and support young people.

Abbie also shares No. 5’s communication strategies, including their targeted social media approach and the upcoming launch of their podcast, designed to bridge the gap between young people and adults.

Finally, Abbie leaves listeners with a powerful message of support and encouragement for young people and adults alike.

No.5 Young People website: https://no5.org.uk/

No.5 Young People Social Channels:

Check out the No.5 Website:

No.5 Website

Listen to the episode

Episode Time Codes

TIME CODES

00:00 Introduction and Greeting Abbie

00:33 Introduction to Abbie and how she came to work at No.5

02:00 What is No.5 and how it helps young people

03:35 How many people work at No.5 and its impact

04:35 The challenges facing young people now-a-days

06:22 Has Covid made a difference to young people?

08:36 Abbie’s thoughts on the recent Adolescence show on Netflix

11:07 How can adults help young people

12:52 How No.5 connects with different audiences

14:30 The No.5 upcoming podcast

15:25 The decision behind starting the podcast

17:05 How the podcast helps the service

17:42 How to engage young people

19:09 Advice for young people or adults who are struggling

Videos

Challenges Facing Young People

How Adults Can Help Young People

Advice for Those who are Struggling

How to Engage Young People

How Close is the Netflix Show 'Adolescence' to Reality?

Key takeaways

Effective Youth Engagement Strategies: The episode provides valuable insights into how organisations and groups can effectively engage with young people. Abbie emphasises the importance of co-production, involving young people from the outset. She also highlights the significance of clear communication, honesty, and fair compensation for young people’s time and contributions.

Key Challenges Facing Young People: The discussion sheds light on the significant challenges that young people face today, which can inform how businesses, groups and services can adapt to meet their needs. These challenges include school-related stress, the ongoing impact of COVID-19, and the pressures of social media and the online world.

Episode references

Manosphere | A collection of blogs, websites, forums and social media threads ‘where users share their bigoted, sexist, and toxic views of society in general and masculinity and femininity in particular.

For the definition and to learn more you can read the following online open access article:

Rothermel, A.-K. (2023) “The role of evidence-based misogyny in antifeminist online communities of the ‘manosphere’” Online Article