New website launched to help Bedford parents worried about their child’s mental health
The Pink Link collated information and advice from experts and local organisation to make it easier for parents to seek support
Bedfordshire-based organisation Bedford Giving has launched a new online resource aimed at parents and carers concerned about their child or teenager’s mental health.
The initiative, part of its Follow The Pink Link campaign, brings together practical guidance and a comprehensive directory of support services into a single, easy-to-use website.
The campaign is backed by a growing presence throughout the town.
Adverts have appear on billboards, buses, and digital screens in supermarkets and the train station.
The campaign will also be supported at the upcoming Bedfringe arts festival and culminate in several buildings across Bedford being lit pink on World Mental Health Day, 10 October.
The idea for the website came from a wide-ranging piece of research conducted by Bedford Giving, where local young people and the adults around them identified mental health and wellbeing as a pressing concern.
Director Paul Kellett said: "It is very much born out of research going back about four years ago. We asked children and young people what some of their biggest worries and challenges were, and mental health and wellbeing was one of the top concerns."
A follow-up study in spring 2024 focused specifically on teenage mental health, revealing that around 60% of young people in Bedford said mental health was a “massive challenge” for them.
From that data, two needs emerged: better support for adults who work with children, and clearer, more accessible guidance for parents.
Mr Kellett said: "Parents were saying there’s so much information out there that we don’t know where to go, we just wish someone would boil it all down into one place so that we can go, know it’s the right information, and be signposted to where we need ongoing help and support."
The resulting website, accessible at www.thepink.link, contains articles written by local therapists from Spring Therapeutic Services, including guidance on starting conversations with teenagers and recognising early warning signs of mental health issues.
Mr Kellett explained: "There’s a directory that covers over 18 different categories - everything from self-harm to neurodiversity, depression, bereavement, anxiety and gender identity. When you click on a category, it opens up a list of national and local agencies that parents and young people can reach out to."
The resource is free and publicly available.
While it was designed with Bedford families in mind, it is open to anyone, anywhere.
The campaign’s name, Follow The Pink Link, reflects the brand colour chosen by Bedford Giving to symbolise mental health and wellbeing. The project was developed with support from Bonfire Media, a Bedford-based communications agency.
Mr Kellett added: "As adults, we need to appreciate that the society children and young people are growing up in is nothing like we know.
"We may not have the lived experience to support them directly, but we do have the ability to help them build resilience and understand their emotions."
Bedford Giving is a local movement backed by a collaboration of charities, businesses and funders working together to improve the lives of young people in Bedford.
It is hosted by The Harpur Trust, ensuring that all funding goes directly towards projects, not overheads.