After being established in 1998, the NUH Youth Service is the UK’s most established hospital-based youth service and has provided support for hundreds of patients from across Nottingham and beyond.
Money raised through Nottingham Hospitals Charity helps support the service by funding a youth club where young patients can get support from their peers, a youth room away from the ward environment, and residential trips for those patients who spend a lot of time in the hospital.
The Youth Service supports young patients aged 11 to 21, who are being treated at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, at the Queen’s Medical Centre.
![Two people play table tennis. You can see the back of the person closest to the camera wearing a volunteer hoodie.](/uploads/images/general-jpgs/_992x992_crop_center-center_82_line/80025/Youth-Service-1.jpg)
Youth club
The youth service run a youth club every Wednesday evening which allows young people a place to meet patients of similar ages away from the hospital grounds. The club provides facilities such as a pool table, board games and an inside sports hall, encouraging young people to interact and share experiences with their peers
![A volunteer sits on a sofa talking to two people at the Youth Service](/uploads/images/general-jpgs/_992x992_crop_center-center_82_line/80028/Youth-Service-2.jpg)
Mental health support
More recently, Nottingham Hospitals Charity has funded a Youth Development Worker, and a Young People’s Emotional Health Worker, in order to provide the very best care and support for young people in hospital. In early 2022 the Charity is funding a residential trip aimed specifically at supporting young people’s mental health during what can be a particularly difficult time for them.