I wanted to share a story of a young man I met a few months ago as it really resonates with my own experience. Read on and you’ll hear how Noah talks about human contact giving him hope. This is something I’ve experienced for myself, particularly as a teenager when I spent a long time feeling very hopeless and wondering if there was any point in sticking around to see what adult life might have in store. One of the main things that got me through was having one or two people who refused to give up on me and kept holding onto the hope for my life, even when I had totally lost sight of it. Just being there for me, hanging out, not being put off by my up’s and down’s really made all the difference. It was that human contact which I needed… we all need it.

It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to do something like Emerge, to be there for people to just be a friendly face and a voice of hope when they need it the most.

Over the weeks meeting up with Noah I didn’t feel I’d done anything extraordinary. We’d just chatted things through, talked about his days and routines, his aspirations and obstacles. We got to know one another as people and enjoyed each other’s company.

Later on, when Emerge received this feedback from Noah I was blown away by the difference that these seemingly small things had made in his life.

In this time when we’re not in touch with people in the ways and frequency we might be used to, it’s so important to stay connected. Maybe you feel nervous to reach out to people, or the idea of a video call seems weird. Please be brave and give it a go. And don’t forget to be check in on your friends too, you never know how much difference it makes.

When I was sitting with Noah, this is what I wanted him to know, and what I want you to know more than anything… There is hope for your life, hang in there please, don’t give up.

Sometimes we all need a little help, but a little help goes a long way.

Take care friends x