Support for young parents and parents-to-be through YES (Youth Enquiry Service) expands into West Suffolk

A new service to support young people with pregnancy and parenting, and connect them with others in a similar position, has launched in West Suffolk.

YES, which stands for Youth Enquiry Service, is a charity that helps young people aged 19 to 25 in Suffolk with a broad range of areas, including housing, meal planning, budgeting and relationships.

The service includes a new Bump & Beyond stay and play group in Bury St Edmunds for this age range at West Suffolk Vineyard Church, in Northern Way, every Friday from 11am to 12.30pm.

The sessions for parents and parents-to-be, who can bring their babies and toddlers along, give them the chance to meet other young parents and provide guidance on potty training, weaning and nutrition and money management, for example, in a safe and fun environment.

Claire Brook, young person, parenting and pregnancy link worker for YES for Bury and the surrounding area, including Haverhill, Newmarket and Sudbury, said young people may feel judged attending certain groups, which could make them feel isolated.

Isolation is actually one of the biggest issues facing young parents and expectant parents, she added.

Claire said: “A lot of them have had to come out of college or uni and their life has changed and their friendship groups have carried on with their lives in a different way, so bringing the young groups together so they have that family and network, that’s one of the most important things for their wellbeing - that they have a whole community on their side.

“That’s why we do Bump & Beyond and antenatal workshops, for example.”

Claire said housing was also a big issue, as it is so much harder today to afford private rent, especially if you have a baby on the way.

“There’s a lot of housing need,” she said. “Chances are they are still living at home and there might not be room for them and baby once baby is there, and generally if they are still together [with their partner] they would want to live as a family.

“And sometimes, if it’s just mum she might want to be independent with baby and it’s looking at all these financial things.”

Ultimately, the charity wants to empower young people, by giving them the tools, to feel they can do anything they need to for them and their baby, children or family. “That’s a definite achievement for us,” said Claire.

She added: “Having a child is really overwhelming and can be really scary, especially when you have never done it before.

“Your body changes, your life changes. Some things don’t stay [the same], some relationships don’t last.”

She said the charity was there for as long as people needed them. “When life is on track, they probably won’t message us – and that’s fine,” she said.

In Bump & Beyond, Claire is also planning to provide slow cooker meal sessions to help develop cooking skills, but also be mindful of a budget.

“This means we can provide a hot meal occasionally but teach them how to make it and the costs of the ingredients,” she said. “There’s a perception it’s expensive to cook healthy and actually we can show it’s not.”

YES is looking for donations of slow cookers, but also sandwiches, fruit, snacks and biscuits for the Bump & Beyond group.

Claire is in talks with some of the supermarkets and Tesco supermarket in Bury has donated 10 Easter eggs for the group.

Contact Claire on 07484 015026 or email Claire.brook@colchesteryes.org.uk.

For more information visit the website.

The charity has been running in Essex for more than 30 years and expanded into Ipswich last year.

Referrals for YES can come from social services, midwives and health visitors, for example, but people can also self refer into the service, which has links with a range of organisations.