LUDLOW Town meeting was told that young people have been badly hit by the loss of services and by isolation because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Erica Garner and Tracey Huffer described how many younger people have been left more isolated.

The impact of Covid on young people has been significant, they reported.

A national charity Young Minds looked at the effect of Covid on the Mental Health of young people . The results of surveys suggests that there has been a devastating impact on many of the young people , including those who are deeply anxious, have started, or re-started self- harming, having panic attacks or are losing motivation and hope for the future.

Some young people were dealing with multiple pressures, mainly linked to loneliness and isolation, concerns about school or university work and breakdown in routine. Many were positive about the vaccine roll out and eager to get involved, but concerned for further lockdowns.

It is therefore vital as a council, and as a community that there is awareness of these pressures and are mindful of providing and nurturing services that offer opportunities for young people to flourish and grow, it was reported.

There was an update on just some of the local groups providing support for young people in Ludlow.

With support from Ludlow Town Council, the Friday night detached sessions have been delivered since August 2020. The advent of Covid seriously affected work in Wesleys café however, detached sessions were delivered out and about Ludlow during a Friday evening when Covid rules allowed.

It is estimated that approximately 80 individual young people accessed the service over the time but not all of these attend every week. The average age attending are teens (13-16 year olds), which make up 56 per cent of contacts made. The lack of places for young people to go outdoors has had an affect on the numbers.