A NEW coaching and mentoring service has been launched to help up to 2,000 children in the Southend and Rochford area cope with personal difficulties, including bereavement.

Southend YMCA is spearheading the Glow project, which gives mentoring to young people aged eight and above and coaching to teenagers over the age of 14 to address “risky” behaviour that affect family life and could lead to violence, relationship breakdown and social isolation.

This risky behaviour includes sex, drugs, alcohol, gang and crime-related problems.

YMCA coach, Jane Dolby said the service would help 2,000 youngsters over the next three years and would be operating in Basildon, Pitsea, Castle Point, Billericay, Pitsea, Laindon, Rayleigh, Brentwood, Wickford, Rochford and Hockley.

She added: “We really hope to make a difference.

“We have got a lot of young people where we want to get involved in their lives at an early stage before that risky behaviour develops.”

The project has received funding from the county council’s Family Innovation Fund, which identified three characteristics that led to family instability including negative behaviour, poor relationships and social isolation.

This negative behaviour will be addressed by coaching parents and carers, as well as tackling aggressive behaviour, both verbal and physical, on the part of parents, carers or children, that could result in emotional or physical harm.

Mrs Dolby said bereavement was another factor that could lead to risky behaviour, adding that the YMCA service was replacing areas where funding had been cut in children’s services.

The service is offered free of charge and Mrs Dolby said the charity would be working with schools to spread the word about the Glow project.

There are 12 sessions on offer with a young person and a family who need support.

For more information about the service, visit southend ymca.org.uk