Mentoring programme supports young people and families in Llanelli
19 June 2026
Young people and families in Llanelli are benefiting from access to a programme designed to strengthen emotional wellbeing, confidence and family relationships.
Delivered by Connecting Youth, Children and Adults (CYCA), the service is funded by the Llanelli Primary Care Cluster, in response to the increasing number of young people needing support.
A Primary Care Cluster is a local network of healthcare professionals working together in a specific geographical area to meet community needs. Their aim is to bring care closer to home and better co-ordinate local healthcare services for everyone.
The programme offers one-to-one, trauma informed mentoring for young people who may be experiencing emotional distress, isolation or challenges at home or school.
Many who are benefitting have faced adverse childhood experiences or unmet emotional needs. The mentoring programme provides a structured, compassionate space to help them rebuild confidence and emotional understanding.
Tracy, CYCA CEO, explained: “Our aim is to help young people feel heard, supported and safe. We work with the whole family so that change isn’t just something that happens in a session, it becomes part of everyday life.
“Our sessions are designed to help young people understand and express their emotions, build a positive sense of identity and develop resilience and confidence.
“Parents and carers also take part, which helps them support their child at home and reinforces consistent emotional strategies across the family.”
Young people typically access weekly sessions for a minimum of 12 weeks. The support is delivered across home, school and community settings, ensuring everyone involved works together.
One young person attended both mentoring sessions and Bloom, CYCA’s therapeutic after‑school craft group for girls. Bloom offers a safe, nurturing space where girls can try new activities, explore emotions creatively and develop supportive peer relationships.
The group facilitator shared that over the course of the programme, how the young person was able to find their voice. They moved from feeling unsure about how to express emotions to confidently communicating how they felt. They began initiating conversations, building friendships and engaging more positively at home and school and their wellbeing score increased by 40%.
Their parents noticed a transformation too, saying “They’re like a different child at home. They can tell me how they feel now.”
Dr Alan Williams, Llanelli Primary Care Cluster Lead, said: “Research shows that consistent access to emotionally available adults supports healthy brain development and long-term resilience.
“We have been seeing an increase in the number of young people who we knew would benefit greatly from this type of support. We are proud to be working together across GP practices in Llanelli with CYCA to have this in place for our community.
“By helping young people and families early with the support they need, this has reduced pressure on GP appointments and contributes to national priorities, including Wales’s Whole School Approach (opens in new tab) and adverse childhood experiences‑informed practice (opens in new tab).”
Andrew Carruthers, Chief Operating Officer at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said:
“This project shows the impact of community‑based emotional support. When young people and families receive the right help at the right time, we see improved wellbeing and reduced demand on primary care. It is making a real difference to people’s lives.”
If you feel you or a family member may benefit from this support, please speak to your GP. They can refer you to the service.
The GP surgeries currently providing referral scheme to CYCA are:
- Ashgrove Medical Centre
- Avenue Villa Surgery
- Meddygfa Tywyn Bach
- Llangennech Surgery
- Llwynhendy Health Centre
- Ty Elli Group Practice
- Fairfield Surgery
To learn more about CYCA, visit www.cycaonline.org, email support@cycaonline.org or call 01554 776178.
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