On behalf of all of us at It’s Your Choice, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

Sadly for some of those we help the prospect of Christmas is not a happy one. At IYC we regularly see young people who are homeless or continually at risk of homelessness. Many have multiple problems, not least poor mental health. At this time of year, they often come to us cold, wet and hungry – some will be sleeping in tents, some will be suffering from depression, a handful may even feel suicidal.

IYC makes a difference for 3,500 young people a year, addressing the widest range of emotional health and well-being need with practical advice, casework support, counselling, and tailored projects. We can’t run major advertising campaigns like the big charities but our work is just as valuable and the need out there is just as great. This Christmas, please help sustain our work with the New Forest’s most vulnerable young people and make a small donation if you can, thank you.

With all good wishes for 2016
Chris Carey (CEO) and IYC’s trustees, staff and volunteers