Friendships

As you grow up you’ll make new friends and lose friends. There’ll be times when you need help from your friends or they need help from you. You will have lots of fun with your friends but there might be times when you fall out with your friends or have arguments too.

BBC Bitesize has information on making friends here: Developing friendships – BBC Bitesize

It can be hard to know what to do if you have friendship problems. You could talk to a trusted adult, and you could look at the advice below:

Friends | Childline

Friendship-guide-for-young-people_0.pdf (childrenssociety.org.uk)

Friends | Tips and Advice about Friendships | YoungMinds

Relationships

As you get older you may find that you have special relationships with others, that include a close connection between you and the other person, usually involving romantic or sexual feelings.

Childline have information on relationships, such as starting your first relationship and breaking up with someone Relationships | Childline as well as information about healthly and unhealthy relationships Healthy and unhealthy relationships | Childline

Click on the link for information around the law and consenting to sex The Law And Consenting To Sex: Just The Facts | Health For Teens

Relationship Abuse

Abuse is not normal and never ok. If you are in a relationship with someone, you should feel loved, safe, respected and free to be yourself.

There are different forms of abuse but if your relationship leaves you feeling scared, intimidated or controlled, it’s possible you’re in an abusive relationship.

Seek help from a family member, friend or trusted adult.

If you are in immediate danger, get to a safe place and phone the Police on 999.

The Children’s Society has information on the signs of an abusive relationship, helplines and resources Teenage Relationship Abuse | The Children’s Society (childrenssociety.org.uk)

Sexual Health

If you are in a relationship and having sex, it is important to look after your sexual health.

Childline have information on contraception and safe sex Contraception and safe sex | Childline as well as sexual transmitted infections Sexually transmitted infections | Childline

Young Greenwich has partnered with METRO to offer dedicated sexual health support for young people between the ages of 13-24, which can be accessed in a variety of ways:

• Call the Young Greenwich Youth Line on Mondays – Fridays (0208 305001) to talk to one of our Young Greenwich Sexual Health Workers. You can ask for advice and support on contraception, STIs, abortion, consent, visiting clinics and anything else relating to sexual health and wellbeing.  The team can arrange follow-up phone calls and can refer you to other sexual health services within the borough, such as pharmacies and clinics.
• You can arrange to have a 1:1 video call, phone call or face-to-face session with one of the Young Greenwich Sexual Health workers. This service offers more tailored support and advice across one or more sessions. They cover all aspects of sexual health and wellbeing, from contraception to identity and healthy relationships.
• Young Greenwich Sexual Health workers regularly attend the Young Greenwich Youth Hubs and deliver sexual health workshops and advice sessions to the young people that attend these Youth Hubs.
• Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 can get free condoms using the Young Greenwich C-Card Scheme. To access the scheme, you can register via the Greenwich Sexual Health Website, through the Youth Hubs or from pharmacies registered to deliver the scheme.

Find your closest walk in service: www.greenwichsexualhealth.org/ walk_in_services/

The C-Card scheme allows you to order free condoms in discreet packaging to your home. You can also pick up packs of condoms from pharmacies and from Youth Hubs.

C-Card Registrations: www.greenwichsexualhealth.org

• Young Greenwich deliver free chlamydia testing kits to your home. This is part of the NHS national chlamydia-screening programme. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection affecting young people in the UK, so it’s important to get tested regularly. You will need to do a urine sample and post it to us for free. To order a kit visit https://greenwichsexualhealth.org/ or https://www.checkurself.org.uk/