NHS trust asks for volunteers to make crocheted Worry Worms to help young people manage their emotions

The colourful little crocheted creatures were introduced by Natalie Guy who works in Walsall Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

After finding out that a young person she was supporting enjoyed crochet, Natalie used the hobby to build up a therapeutic relationship with her, helping the young person to engage with treatment.

The duo worked on patterns together and the idea of the Worry Worm popped up. Each worm has a poem attached and is a soothing tool to encourage the young person to hold their Worry Worm if they are feeling anxious or upset.

The Worry Worm helps children to personify their concerns and feel more able to tackle them. It helps them to learn to manage their worries in a healthy way, rather than suppressing them, helping children to feel more in control of their emotions and less overwhelmed by them.

The Worry Worms have been incredibly successful, and although parents, carers and young people have got involved to make more worms, stocks are now running low. Natalie would also like to introduce the worms to other CAMHS locations across the Black Country.

The Trust’s Brighter Lives charity and Natalie have joined together to issue a call-out to creative members of the public who already crochet or are keen to take up a new hobby. Donated Worry Worms will go directly to helping young people accessing mental health services. Donations of worms can be dropped in or posted to Natalie Guy at one of the Trust’s CAMHS locations across the Black Country.

Natalie can also be contacted by email: natalie.guy2@nhs.net.

Natalie said: “It has been wonderful to see how a small project which started off with a girl who found it hard to engage, has grown to a community project with older service users getting together to make them for younger people.

“How lovely to see professionals, patients, service users and carers coming together to make such a difference to the young people we support. Local parents and their children have also got involved so this has been a real local community effort. Now we’re asking for help from the wider community to help our cheerful Worry Worms reach even more young people across the Black Country."

Emma Fletcher-Lee, service manager and clinical lead for Walsall CAMHS, said: “Worry Worms have taken off in Walsall, all thanks to the introduction of Nat Guy and a merry band of crocheters. This project exemplifies the compassion and thoughtfulness that the team at Walsall CAMHS put into their work, putting the needs and interests of children and young people at the centre of their care.”