National Lottery funding enables community group to support people's mental health and wellbeing

The group has also completed an emergency first aid course which was held by Fida Hussain

National Lottery funding has enabled local community group Y4 Youths to support people with their mental health and wellbeing.

A group of men and women between the ages of 16 and 50, some who have been experiencing difficult times, have been getting together and going on regular local walks or meeting up at Kingsway Sports Centre, participating in indoor sports such as football, cricket, badminton or circuit training.

The group has also completed an emergency first aid course which was held by Fida Hussain, an EFA trainer, who said: “I am very happy with the progress the group is making each week.”

Y4 Youths co-ordinator, Ejaz Khan said: “We have had members who have been in a depressing situation at their home with personal issues.

“We encourage people to attend our Y4 Youths group and participate with discussions where we try and give guidance and help to tackle their worries and fears.

“We also get them to get involved with activities which could change their behaviour and help their emotions: talking and participating with other members in the group may make them feel more confident and good about life.

“We have one member with autism who really enjoys looking forward to the Sunday sessions and attends every week at Kingsway Sports Centre.

“We always encourage more members to join and attend our sessions and thanks to the community funding we can extend our group to organise more events regularly.”

Y4 Youths was set up in 2004 with a small group of around 15 young children who got together and started a youth group to encourage children into sports and other activities.

They would get together on Sunday mornings at Kingsway Sports Centre for indoor football, circuit training and other sports.

With regular youths attending, the group was made bigger with no age limit, giving rise to youth tournaments and fitness sessions for middle-aged men.

The group meet at Kingsway Sports Centre in Rochdale on Sunday mornings from 9am - 11am (except Easter holidays) and anyone can come along aged 16 and above.