Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, recently visited Spark, a branch of the Worth Unlimited charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people across the district.
Based at Loughton Youth Centre, Spark provides a safe, welcoming space for young people up to the age of 24. The team works both in the community and in local schools, offering long‑term emotional wellbeing support through one‑to‑one counselling and mentoring. Referrals come from parents, carers, schools and community organisations, ensuring that help reaches those who need it most.
As a charity, Spark relies entirely on the generosity of local donors and successful funding applications, including support from the National Lottery Community Fund. The organisation also works closely with Essex County Council to deliver its services.
During the visit, Dr Hudson met Operations Manager Mary Knapman, Branch Director Adele Rogers, Worth Unlimited Chair of Trustees Vic Williamson and Worth Unlimited Trustee Kate Matthews. They discussed the vital role Spark plays in supporting young people in Epping Forest, as well as the challenges the team faces in meeting growing demand. Dr Hudson praised the dedication of staff and volunteers and reaffirmed his strong support for their work.
Dr Hudson has long championed improved mental health provision for young people. He serves as Vice Chair of the All‑Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self‑Harm Prevention and has been working closely with the 3 Dads Walking on the campaign for suicide prevention to be included in the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum. In the last Parliament, with the 3 Dads, he met with then‑Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to push for progress on this issue and subsequently secured a meeting between the 3 Dads and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to continue the conversation on how best to prevent youth suicide.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, said:
“It was a pleasure to meet with the team at Spark here in Loughton. Mental health is an issue I care deeply about, and the work they do to support our young people is nothing short of essential. I am hugely grateful to the staff and volunteers who provide this lifeline for families across Epping Forest, and I will continue to champion and support their vital work.
“Achieving true parity of esteem between mental and physical health has long been one of my priorities. I will keep working, both locally and in Westminster, to improve mental health support and strengthen suicide prevention efforts.”
Mary Knapman, Operations Manager at Spark, said:
“It was great to meet Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, who came to see us at Spark. We were able to talk to Dr Hudson through our work, which ranges from early intervention right through to more complex mental health needs.
“Dr Hudson was interested to hear, and was concerned about, the many challenges that local young people are facing, including suicidal ideation, isolation and anxiety, the pressures of social media, and an increase in violence against women and girls. He was pleased to see the impact we are having tackling these and other challenges through our 1:1 counselling and mentoring, family support and wellbeing workshops.”
Adele Rogers, Branch Director, said:
“We'd like to thank Dr Hudson for visiting us. Charitable projects like ours are vital in supporting vulnerable people in local communities, and we were pleased that Dr Hudson was keen to understand the challenges that we and our young clients are facing here at Spark.
“Our service reaches around 130 young people a week, and we can only continue to run it through the support of generous local donors; successful funding applications from funders such as the National Lottery Community Fund; and Loughton Youth Service/Essex County Council, which allows us to use the building here. Our small team and our 60+ volunteers do amazing work, and we were thrilled to be able to show Dr Hudson the impact we are having in his constituency.”
