Bedfordshire Open Door

07/06/2026

As Volunteers Week comes to a close I would like to say a personal thank you to the Trustees at Bedfordshire Open Door.

We have a dynamic and motivated Board of trustees who volunteer their time and offer their expertise and guidance at a strategic level.🌟Alongside that they offer support and encouragement and a willingness to champion young people and their mental health at every opportunity. 🌟

A special thank you goes to Sam, our Chair of the Board, for being the driving force behind positive change and development whilst also co-ordinating our first ever Charity Ball, supporting our social media and promoting us at local events and activities! 🌟What a super star! 🌟

We are truly fortunate to have such awesome, dedicated volunteers! Thank you one and all!

05/06/2026

We've had some wonderful news to round off Volunteers Week and to get us smiling ready for the weekend 😀

We are very proud to have been shortlisted in the Youth Charity category of the upcoming Youth TV Aspire Awards, sponsored by The Harpur Trust

When a charity is powered by volunteers, this kind of recognition is so welcome. We can't wait to spend the evening with the other nominees later this month, and celebrate all the many ways we are all making Bedfordshire a better place for the young people in our community.

Keep everything crossed for us - we'd love to see BOD's name up in lights! 🤞

04/06/2026

This morning we were back at the East Bedford Pcn coffee morning at Christ The King Church Hall in Bedford.

If you have ever received a text from your doctors surgery saying they are holding a coffee morning and wondered what it was all about - this is it! A chance to chat to local charities and support organisations, including Citizens Advice Bureau, all in an informal setting under one roof once a month. With tea and biscuits thrown in for good measure!

We had Tea & Biscuit goody bags to give away, with a little reminder that you matter and it's important to look after yourself 💙

03/06/2026

Consider the board of a private company and the eye-watering salaries those people will be earning 💷

Then consider the board of a charity - a group of individuals with similar experience in Finance, HR, Marketing, Communications, Strategic Management, Governance, Operations, Senior Leadership, Equality and Diversity and Service Delivery - all volunteering their time and putting those skills to use for no financial reward whatsoever.

Welcome to the world of the charity trustee!

We have a great team of trustees at BOD, who generously share their knowledge and expertise all for the good of our organisation. Volunteering on a charity board is a voluntary role that comes with a lot of responsibility - but which provides a lot of 'job' satisfaction.

02/06/2026

Sometimes volunteering can be for the pure and simple reason of giving back to your local community.

When the world feels loud, chaotic and out of your control, a good way to balance this is to concentrate on where you live and what you can do for the people in your street, your neighbourhood or your town.

01/06/2026

Every week is Volunteers Week at Bedfordshire Open Door - because we simply couldn't run our service without them.

When BOD was founded over 30 years ago, everyone who worked for the organisation was a volunteer. Today, the majority of our 1:1 counselling sessions are still delivered by volunteer counsellors alongside some funded part-time counsellors and student counsellors.

The bedrock of our organisation is a strong voluntary ethos and the generosity of the local counselling community. These can be people relatively new to counselling, looking to gain experience, or very experienced professionals, wanting to give something back.

One week out of 52 just isn’t enough to let them know how much we appreciate the time and the care they give. But this Volunteers Week we *will* thank and celebrate them.💙

26/05/2026

One of our wonderful trustees has completed his sponsored challenge in 30° heat this weekend 🥵 So you could call it a challenge! 😂

Thank you so much Mika for running 30km in our 30th anniversary year, to raise money for our service.

If this has inspired you to embark on a challenge, then we would love to hear from you!

20/05/2026

We are pleased this month to be part of the new Bedford Independent monthly charity slot, talking about the importance of face to face support in an online world.

https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/monthly-column-why-face-to-face-support-still-matters-for-young-people/

We look forward to reading the articles from other local charities in the months to come.

Bedfordshire Open Door marks 30 years of in-person counselling as demand for youth mental-health support continues to rise...

17/05/2026

Even with all the good advice in the world, sometimes you just need some help. Luckily you don’t have to do it alone and there is lots of help around in many different formats – websites, videos, podcasts, written information, as well as talking therapies.

And you don’t have to wait until things feel bad enough. If something is on your mind, that’s reason enough to reach out for help.

💡 Take Action
💙 Send a message to someone you trust – “I’m having a rough day today. Can I talk to you?”
💙 Open up to someone you trust – a friend, teacher, coach, youth worker
💙 Write it down – getting your thoughts and feelings down on paper can help as a first step before talking to anyone
💙 Find out more about counselling and what it involves so you can decide if you think it might be helpful
💙 Research local organisations in your area that might be able to support you.

If you think 1:1 counselling would be helpful for you, or someone you know aged 13-25, we are currently open to new referrals. Visit our website at www.bedfordopendoor.org.uk from where you can email, phone or text to get in touch.

16/05/2026

Community and belonging are important to us – we aren’t meant to handle everything on our own. Humans need other humans – people who get it, people who listen, people who make things feel a bit lighter.

Some people might get their sense of community by being a member of a sports team, a gym or a friendship group. Other people might find their community and sense of belonging in online spaces, whilst gaming or following a particular band. But finding people that share an interest or a connection is important for our wellbeing. And that doesn’t mean having loads of friends - it’s about having one or two people you can be yourself around. Even if you feel shy or unsure there are small ways you can build a community.

💡 Take Action
🫂 Let someone know how you’re really feeling – honesty helps build connection.
🫂 Find a cause you believe in and join – it feels good to be part of something bigger than you
🫂 Make the first move – it’s easy to think that everyone else is out there, living their best life, full of confidence – but that really isn’t the case. Being brave and reaching out to someone first, to ask if they want to spend time together, could be the thing that makes their day
🫂 Join a community based on one of your interests – either online or in person. Having a common interest is a great ice breaker
🫂 Don’t forget our furry friends – spending time with your pet (or someone else’s) is a great way to feel companionship