Inspirational Hope4More programme supporting anxious young people in Crewe

A massive shout out for the incredible charity Hope4More, which supports secondary age, anxious young people, struggling with emotionally based school avoidance.

I was delighted to join the Crewe Mayor Cllr Stuart Mackay to perform the official opening ceremony for a special end-of-term exhibition at St Marks Centre in Crewe to showcase all the fantastic work created as part of a programme of special alternative activities.

Organised by the amazing founders Sheila Griffiths and her friend Leanne, the courses have been a lifeline for young people who have dropped out of mainstream school. They have an iimpressive success rate for getting pupils back into school or finding places at more appropriate special schools. www.hope4more.co.uk

If you have ever doubted that anxiety is a real issue, do read this wonderful, heartfelt poem by 13-year-old Eva, on display at the exhibition:

I’ve learnt how to carry the weight without calling it pain, how to smile and nod like it’s some sort of act. Behind the “act” are panic attacks, bullying, and all the comments. I’ve learnt to put myself into a box just to be slightly accepted. I’m stuck with expectations that are not even mine; they are only a few of the things I’ve learnt to quietly hide.

I’ve learnt to swallow the sound of a world that’s too loud,
To keep my hands still when they want to move,
And to force my eyes to meet yours, even when it feels like a thousand knives every smile every I’m fine every feels forced 
The burnout isn’t just being tired; it’s a hollowed-out soul.
It’s the moment the mask cracks because it doesn’t fit like it used to 
And I’m left lost trying to figure out why I’m not “normal” and why I can’t do it 

I’m drowning in expectations that aren’t mine,
Rules I didn’t write, goals that were never mine,
And a pace I was never meant to keep. This isn’t keeping quiet,
It’s slowly disappearing, it’s the heavy silent cost of trying to exist,
In a world where people only like the fake, the masked me…

I’ve been let down time and time again by people who assume they are helping, 
Expected to shatter quietly so I don’t disturb the others,
Expected to talk and share all my private thoughts with a stranger who repackages it like a weapon.

I’m tired of being “fine” while I’m slowly fading,
I’m tired of the “box” that was built so others could rise while I fall further,
I’m sick of the comments the “oh she just needs some tough love” and the “she’s manipulating you”. 
I’m sorry, what!? Do you hear yourself? I hear you!
If you were in the same situation, you would be saying that?
I’m not a number, not a problem, not a name on a report. I’m human, I’m me. It’s 2026 people wake up!