A mental health and wellbeing hub for young people aged 11-18 in the heart of Barry has undergone a recent extension, enabling the service to support a larger number of young people across Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan.
The Hangout was developed by mental health charity Platfform, in partnership with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Available in both Cardiff and Barry, the open access service offers drop-in mental health support, scheduled 1-1 sessions and wellbeing-focused groups. It gives young people a safe, accessible space where they can build confidence, develop coping skills and feel supported during difficult times.
The Hangout in Barry opened in November 2024 and has since become an incredibly important service in the community.
One 15-year-old who has been using the service regularly over the last year said: “Everyone at the Hangout is very kind and sociable and have made me want to go out more. The staff always make me feel included.”
“I like meeting new people and the atmosphere of the social space. I also like the support they offer me.”
Another 12-year-old started using the service after they heard about it from friends. “It helps me feel confident and happy” they said.
In recent weeks, The Hangout has undergone a refurbishment and expansion project funded by the Central Vale Primary Care Cluster group. The new space includes new therapeutic rooms for 1-1 support, a quiet and calming waiting area designed with neurodiversity in mind, and a flexible group space for wellbeing activities. The young people have been thought-of throughout the entire process and have even contributed to the graffiti-effect design, to add their personal touches to the space.
The new design is more inclusive to neurodiverse young people, with a quiet, sensory welcome space. The redesign of this welcome area aims to reduce overwhelm for young people, particularly neurodivergent young people, as they first enter the building to seek help.
Dr James Martin, Central Vale Primary Care Cluster group lead, said: “Working in the Central Vale we see young people every day facing significant challenges with their mental health and the work done by Platfform at The Hangout is really inspiring. Being able to expand the help available to young people, in a friendly, accessible and welcoming way, should have a real impact on the lives of people living in the Central Vale area.”
Bethan Case, Platfform Service Manager at The Hangout also said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Central Vale Cluster Group for giving us the opportunity to expand this work. It means we can reach more young people with a wider range of needs, and create greater capacity for meaningful work supporting their mental health and wellbeing.
“We’re also thankful to Hurts So Good for delivering inspiring workshops that helped our young people create a fantastic piece of artwork for the new space. It’s wonderful to see the community already coming together.”
The expansion of the space will significantly increase capacity and enable concurrent sessions, allowing more young people to access the support they need in the community.
Young people seeking support from the Hangout do not need a referral or prior appointment but can simply drop-in at a time that suits them. For more information about the service, please visit https://platfform.org/project/the-hangout/
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