🎉 Join the H&F Youth Council! 🎉
Aged 11-25?
Live go to school or are looked after by Hammersmith and Fulham?
Care about making a difference in your community?
Want to have your voice heard and influence real change?
Our Inclusive Youth Council is now recruiting – and this could be your chance to get involved!
As a Youth Councillor, you’ll:
✅ Have your say on issues that matter to you
✅ Influence decision-making across the borough
✅ Build leadership, teamwork, and co-production skills
✅ Meet and collaborate with young people from other schools and backgrounds
✅Receive Vouchers, add to your CV and references and access lots of other opportunities
👉 Check out the H&F Youth Voice website to see more about what the Youth Council has achieved and is focused on (and keep an eye out for our new video dropping soon!).
📅 You are Invited to our next Open Recruitment Session
📍 West London College Immersive room
🗓 Tuesday 14th October 4.30-6.30pm
Come along to find out more, meet current members, and see how you can get involved.
Pop an email to Brenda.Whinnett@lbhf.gov.uk and send or bring a completed consent form (attached)
💡 This is your chance to make an impact, learn new skills, be rewarded for your time and have your say in shaping the future of H&F.
Don’t miss it!
Vaping Awareness
What is vaping?
- Vaping involves inhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or similar device. These devices heat a liquid often containing nicotine, flavourings, and other chemicals to create vapor.
- Vapes are used to help adult smokers quit smoking. Vaping can be less harmful than smoking when the vapes are made to the legal size and strength.
- Vapes are not suitable for non-smokers, children, or young people. While vaping can be less harmful than smoking, it is not risk-free.
- It is illegal to sell to or buy vapes for someone under 18.
- It is also important to be aware that some vapes do not meet the UK’s legal safety guidelines. This may mean that they are too strong, contain harmful chemicals or not have declared their ingredients. H&F Council is working to remove all illegal vapes from our high streets.
Why do young people vape?
There are many reasons why young people might start vaping including:
- Peer pressure: Friends or classmates might encourage others to try vaping.
- Flavours: E-cigarettes come in various flavours that can be appealing.
- Marketing: Advertisements often make vaping look attractive and harmless.
The risks of vaping
Some of the risks of vaping include:
- Nicotine addiction: Vaping may lead to a nicotine addiction. This can negatively impact brain development in teenagers.
- Nicotine withdrawal: Nicotine addiction can result in nicotine withdrawal which may affect attention span, cause irritability, and lead to concentration difficulties.
- Feeling unwell: Vaping can cause sore throats, coughing, headaches and dizziness.
- Dangerous and illegal substances: Illegal vapes are not labelled correctly and may contain unknown chemicals that can be dangerous to your health. In some illegal vapes the liquid has been replaced with the Class B drug THC (the active compound in cannabis) or a synthetic cannabinoid also known as spice.
- Future impacts: Most importantly, the long-term side effects of vaping are yet unknown.
Children and Young People’s Mental Health Support
Anyone worried about a child or young person’s mental health can call Speak CAMHS: 0800 328 4444, Option 2
Introducing a Social, Emotional and Mental Health System Navigation Handbook, to access please click here to read the handbook.
This document has been designed for professionals working with children, young people and families in Hammersmith & Fulham, to provide a comprehensive overview of social, emotional and mental health services available and appropriate referral pathways.
Check for updates to this document by downloading the most recent version from: CYPSEMH Handbook
Mind ‘Circle’ Café
Mind is a leading mental health charity that provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing mental health difficulties. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding. Circle is a hub space and café that will offer support for young people in Hammersmith & Fulham who are at or near crisis point with their mental health.
Please find the leaflet attached detailing more information about the service. You can also find further information on our website here: Circle cafe website
You can just ‘drop-in’ to the café (no referral required), or you can be referred – you can find the referral form along with the inclusion/exclusion criteria here: referral form
Cases are not held for longer than 24-48 hours due to the nature of the service, however there is no limit on how many times a young person can access the service, so you can always re-refer or drop-in as many times as you need.