Animo.cat, a place where young people can talk

Ánimo: emotional wellbeing for teenagers and young people

The reality that many teenagers are experiencing concerns us.

In Spain, 4 in 10 teenagers report having had, or believe they have had, a mental health problem in the past year. And among them, more than 1 in 3 have not talked to anyone about what they are going through.

Behind these figures are young people who need to be heard, find resources and know that they do not have to face what they are going through alone.

That is why Ánimo was created.

Ánimo is an emotional wellbeing project for teenagers, young people and their families.

We want to create a welcoming, accessible and stigma-free space where young people can talk about how they feel, find resources and connect with professionals and tools that can support them in their everyday lives.

At animo.cat we bring together a network of professionals specialised in supporting teenagers and young people, with different approaches and areas related to emotional wellbeing, including psychology, therapy, nutrition, mindfulness, body awareness and emotional integration.

Experts in working with young people, supporting different situations and needs, such as anxiety, stress, self-esteem, identity, relationships, bullying, sadness and depression, difficulties related to social media or eating, among others.

In this first phase, we want to create free resources (guides, videos, audio and practical exercises) and develop workshops and courses, both online and in person, for schools and other educational centres.

We also want to offer support and resources to families, making it easier to access guidance and professionals specialised in teenagers and young people.

Asking for help should be easy. And teenagers should be able to do so without fear, without complications and without stigma.

So that we can break down the barriers that often make taking that first step difficult and make finding support more accessible.

How will we use your contributions?

During this first phase, we want to make Ánimo as widely known as possible and begin to build an active network of young people, professionals, educational centres and organisations that share the importance of caring for the emotional wellbeing of our teenagers.

The investment will mainly go towards:

• Contacting and presenting Ánimo to educational centres throughout Spain

Through email campaigns, phone calls and personalised proposals, with the aim of bringing the project directly to educational teams and school directors.

• Promotional and outreach materials

Creating and distributing materials to introduce Ánimo to young people, families, professionals and educational centres through events, conferences and festivals.

This will include the production of flyers, posters and other promotional materials, as well as promotional activities in spaces, centres and environments frequented by teenagers and young people.

• Communication and launch of Ánimo

Development of a communication and promotional campaign to introduce Ánimo, generate visibility and progressively grow its community.

• Includes: creation of content for social media and the website, digital advertising campaigns, preparation and distribution of press releases and materials for the media, radio and press activities.
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• Creation of free content and resources

Development of free courses for teenagers, young people and families, including guidance materials, videos, practical exercises, meditations, audio and other resources related to emotional wellbeing.

• Development and programming of the platform

We will continue improving the Ánimo platform to make it easier for young people to access resources and professional support.

• Includes: development of the Ánimo credits system, which will allow teenagers to earn credits through their participation on the website and in wellbeing challenges, and exchange them for sessions with professionals and wellbeing activities.

Network of professionals and collaborators

Creation and coordination of a network of professionals specialised in teenagers and young people, establishing the necessary processes and agreements for their incorporation into Ánimo.

Wellbeing workshops and experiences

Design and launch of online and in-person workshops and experiences for young people and families.

• Includes: mindfulness, yoga and emotional integration activities, adapted to the needs of young people and families.

Establishment and legal structure of the project

Consolidation of the legal structure necessary for the development and growth of Ánimo.

• Includes: incorporation of the company, legal advice, platform terms of use and collaboration agreements with professionals and organisations.

Who is behind Ánimo?

Ánimo was created by Lluís, Iona and Samba. We are a family who have been witnessing first-hand the major changes our teenagers are experiencing: the constant bombardment of information, the increasing use of technology, speed and immediacy, the intensity of relationships between young people and a world that is constantly changing.

We experience these changes closely and ask ourselves how they are affecting young people, the way they relate to others, understand what they feel and deal with their everyday lives.

• Lluís is the project director and brings his experience in developing wellbeing projects and digital platforms.

• Iona has been involved in education for many years and is connected to Raíces y Alas, an alternative school where she also develops wellbeing programmes for children and teenagers.

• And Samba, Iona’s 10-year-old son, is also part of this story and inspires us with his perspective on the new generations.

All of this has led us to ask ourselves many questions as a family. How can we better support our children and young people? What do they need to be able to express how they feel? And what can we do to make asking for help less difficult?

This is where Ánimo was born.

We want to co-create it with you

If you believe young people need more spaces to talk.

If you believe asking for help should be easier.

If you believe families also need to feel supported.

If you believe young people deserve more tools to understand how they feel.

We invite you to become part of Ánimo from the very beginning.

Thank you so much for joining us at the beginning of this journey.