LPP Foundation increases funding for the Youth Hotline
The Youth Hotline initiative, supported by the LPP Foundation since last year, has just received funding for the next 12 months. The project initiated by the Reserved brand and the ITAKA Foundation has been addressing the ever-increasing needs in the area of mental health for children, teenagers, and young adults for the past three years. The double amount of support allocated by the LPP Foundation means that it is now not only possible to continue the initiative, but also to increase the availability and range of specialist assistance.
The Youth Hotline, a contact number for people in need of mental health support, was launched in 2021 by the ITAKA Foundation in partnership with the Reserved brand. The LPP Foundation, which has been implementing and supporting a number of equal opportunities and healthcare initiatives for many years, joined the project last year, donating a total of more than PLN 2 million in 2023 alone. The decision made by the Board of the LPP Foundation in June this year to extend the Youth Hotline funding for another year and increase the value of support to PLN 400,000 allows the project to develop further and, most importantly, expand the scope of specialist assistance.
– Many of the projects carried out by the LPP Foundation focus on the support offered to teenagers and young adults, so our decision to continue funding the project was obvious. We are aware that the demand for psychological support, particularly evident in recent years, continues to grow, so we aim to ensure that those who use the Youth Hotline are provided with comprehensive support. We know how many different needs this initiative has addressed over the past three years, so we are delighted that the project can continue and grow thanks to our support – says Patrycja Zbytniewska, CEO of the LPP Foundation.
The first challenge that the increase in funding allowed the project’s initiators to face was to extend the working hours of the people on duty at the hotline. Until now, they have been providing support from Monday to Friday, seven hours a day (1 pm – 8 pm). From July this year, specialists will also provide assistance at weekends, making it possible for young people to contact them without the need for a third party, at a time that is most convenient for them, throughout the entire week.
The field of expertise of the specialists and psychologists working with the Youth Hotline has also changed. For example, a sex therapist has been introduced to deal with areas such as sexual violence, abuse of alcohol and other substances, sexually transmitted infections, sex education or dealing with challenges related to identity, relationships and broadly understood acceptance. A therapist specialising in eating disorders, providing help for such problems as anorexia, bulimia and paroxysmal overeating, is also available to people seeking help. Young adults calling the Youth Hotline can get support from a lawyer. The lawyer provides assistance in such areas as support and social rehabilitation of minors (when they commit crimes), domestic violence prevention, violation of sexual intimacy, rape and sexual coercion, threats, persistent harassment, identity theft, addictions (sobriety education, drug and alcohol addiction prevention, gambling), responsibility for debts, consumer bankruptcy or child support issues. Specialists are available 40 hours a month, during specific days of the week (sex therapist – every Tuesday 5-8 pm, eating disorder therapist – every Thursday 2-5 pm).
– We are sad to see that the psyche of young people today is extremely fragile and that mental problems among representatives of the younger generation are worsening every year, so comprehensive support is crucial to provide them with the help they need. We are glad that the LPP Foundation and the Reserved brand are still willing to act together with us. Extending the operating hours of the hotline and introducing on-call specialists is an important step towards making this assistance as comprehensive as possible – says Anna Jurkiewicz, CEO of the ITAKA Foundation.
As part of the project, young adults can consult with a psychologist by telephone or online, which many people find more convenient. Online consultations take 50 minutes, giving people who seek help the opportunity to explain and discuss their problem in detail. It is important to note that people under the age of 18 must have their parents’ permission to seek specialist advice offline, and this rules out anonymity guaranteed over the phone.
– Whatever we do, we always try to be empathetic and support initiatives that help those who need it. We are proud of the Reserved brand for starting this project. The number of people who have received support so far confirms that the demand for the support of specialists among young people continues to grow, so we are happy that the project can continue thanks to the further support of the LPP Foundation, and that we, as the brand that launched the project, can continue to support it – says Anna Matraszek, Reserved’s PR & Digital Manager.
In the three years since the Youth Hotline was inaugurated, on-call specialists have conducted 18,170 phone calls, 3,045 chat conversations and 1,531 online psychological consultations. The psychological support provided over the phone from 1 July 2024 will be available for 49 hours per week, and it is expected that as many as 5,000 people will receive psychological support through the project over the next six months.
Do you need psychological support? Call 22 484 88 04.
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LPP is a Polish family-owned company, one of the most rapidly growing in the fashion industry in the Central European region. It has been very successful in designing and selling its collections and accessories in Poland and abroad for 30 years. LPP manages 5 fashion brands: Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito and Sinsay, with the product ranges now available for sale in shops and online, in 40 markets worldwide. The company has nearly 2400 shops with a total area of more than 2 million m2, and every year distributes products to 3 continents. LPP also has an important role in creating jobs for nearly 43,000 people in offices and sales structures in Poland, Europe, Asia and Africa. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the WIG20 index and belongs to the prestigious MSCI Poland Index.