Teenager launches peer-led foundation to tackle youth mental health crisis

With growing concerns around youth suicides, crime, and drug addiction, a Belgravia High School pupil has taken a step to confront the mental health challenges driving many young people towards destructive behaviour. 

Ra-id Williams, 16, from Athlone, founded the Peer Educators Foundation, a youth-led initiative focused on mental health awareness, peer education, and youth empowerment.

Ra-id said the foundation was born out of his personal experiences and his observations of the silent struggles faced by many pupils.

He describes the initiative as both a coping mechanism for emotional pain and a proactive response to what he sees as a burning issue among young people today.

Through the foundation, he hopes to equip pupils with the knowledge and tools needed to protect their mental health and wellbeing, while fostering supportive peer-to-peer networks within schools.

“Many young people are struggling in silence with stress, anxiety, pressure at home and at school, grief, and feeling unheard. I realised there was a real need for safe, peer-led spaces where learners can talk, learn, and support one another without stigma”.

Ra-id said he believes mental health challenges do not discriminate and affect pupils from all backgrounds.

“The foundation focuses on mental health awareness and early support, particularly around anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, grief, and emotional well-being,” he explained. “We are not a clinical organisation. Our work is about education, awareness, peer support, and encouraging learners to seek help early before things escalate”.

He attributes the root causes of mental health struggles among pupils to multiple factors, including academic pressure, family challenges, and social media, which he believes have contributed to rising anxiety and suicide rates among youth.

“Learners are under immense pressure,” he said. “There is pressure to perform academically, challenges at home, poverty, exposure to violence, and constant comparison on social media. Many feel they must ‘be strong’ and not speak up, which only makes things worse.”

The Peer Educators Foundation is set to launch a series of school-based programmes across the metro, aimed at empowering learners with practical coping skills, mental health education, and peer support systems.

Ra-id said he hoped the initiative would help young people feel less alone and more confident in seeking help when they require it.

The organisation was established in 2025 and is currently in the process of registering as a non-profit organisation.

While it does not yet have permanent premises, it has begun making headway by engaging with community members, schools, and local media to raise awareness around youth mental health and to build partnerships.

At this stage, the focus is mainly on pupils and young people, particularly within the Belgravia area, with plans to expand its reach as the organisation grows. The initiative is youth-led, with Ra-id at the centre, supported by a small group of peers and volunteers who share the vision of creating safe spaces where young people can speak openly about mental health.

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