SPECIAL help is on offer to support children and young people across North Yorkshire with mental health and wellbeing.

A new website has been created with the backing of the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups to give support and advice to young people, their parents and carers about anxiety, bullying, eating problems, low moods and self esteem as well as stress and self-harm.

It's been created through Compass BUZZ, a specialist group, commissioned by the five CCG's across the county to provide mental health services for children and young people.

The website www.compassbuzz.org builds on existing services to offer specialist and targeted help and support around some of the most common health and wellbeing difficulties experienced by young people. The site offers videos and helpful tips on identifying and managing problems.

Lisa Gale, Service Manager for Compass BUZZ and Compass REACH which helps with drug and alcohol treatment said: “For young people aged 11 to18, it can be hard growing up and they can face lots of different issues.

"We have designed the website for a wide audience; to appeal to children and young people and also provide details for parents and professionals on how to support them. It focusses on four key areas: Being Bullied, Being Angry, Being Worried and Being Sad.

"There are some amazing video clips which were filmed with the help of young people from Stokesley School and Harrogate Youth Council. For more brilliant clips people can also access the new Compass BUZZ YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQpojZkWC5_nXQ8QwW5UVA."

The website follows the earlier launch of a text messaging service ‘BUZZ US’ which is a confidential text service for young people aged 11to18 across North Yorkshire. Named by children, BUZZ US can be contacted confidentially on 07520 631168 Monday Thursday from 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm.

Janet Probert, Chief Officer of NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG said: "There’s some really fantastic work going on with services for children and young people and we’re increasingly grateful to Compass BUZZ for launching initiatives like these. We hope our health and social care professionals, schools and community groups will help spread the word so that more children and young people can continue to feel supported by this service."