A message from Amanda Riedel
Welcome to YourCrew!
Thanks for joining the YourCrew Community – you’re already making a big difference just by signing up! We promise you that being available as Crew for young people isn’t that demanding. In fact, just knowing you’re there is a powerful and important way to make a genuine difference.
Most issues that come up will be practical and solvable, things you can pretty much help with right away and nip in the bud. If you can’t help though, YourCrew has lots of cool resources to guide your young person towards professional help that’s right for them. This usually starts with their GP, or one of the professional services who have so much experience with teens and teen issues.
Even a little bit of help can help.
Unfortunately for us, our 13 year-old-son Harrison didn’t have an easy way to ask someone for help. After he died, lots of dear friends and family came up to me and said, “If only we had known, we would have done anything to help.” So I know he would have easily been able to put together a Crew if the YourCrew app had existed.
The thing with Harrison is that he didn’t show any signs; he always seemed happy. But I think about it now, and because he was only 13, he probably didn't know how to explain his feelings, or ask for help. That’s exactly why I created the YourCrew app for all young people.
Tapping into instant help.
The YourCrew app is a preventative tool that provides a fun, and easy, way for young people to find answers and support from people they know and trust. It’s there for the everyday challenges life may throw at them – big and small – and along the way we hope young people can learn how to communicate their feelings and emotions, and ask for help if they need it.
We hope the YourCrew app will prevent things becoming extreme, but if someone gets to that point, all they have to do is push a button, and you as Crew will get an alert as well as access to emergency numbers and other resources.
And of course, if you are uncomfortable at any point yourself, set a good example and talk to someone and ask for help.