DURING the pandemic, mental health has been at the forefront of many people’s minds and a group of Haverfordwest youngsters have been trying to help people struggling.

Messages, shared on laminated post-it notes, have been placed throughout the town by young people at the Haverfordwest Youth Centre.

Speaking before the fire-break lockdown, Hannah White, Community Youth Worker for Haverfordwest, said: “Their aim was to try to help at least one person or make one person smile, but we have had such a lovely response.

“People have told me they have gone into Haverfordwest just to look for them.”

Ms White said the youngsters wanted to spread a positive message during a tough time.

“I was telling them how this program has gone really well. I think they have realised that it has had an effect, but we were saying ‘it’s huge, it’s amazing’.

“You can see it meant a lot to them that people have loved it.”

Messages include “Be gentle with yourself”, “You are loved” and “This storm will pass”.

Other post-its included contact information for groups like Mind and the Samaritans.

Ms White hoped that as well as helping the people of Haverfordwest, the notes reinforced the idea that there was help available to the young people that wrote the messages.

Originally planned for before the first lockdown, the idea was postponed until mental health week which started on October 4.

In total, the young people, aged 11-17, wrote 163 messages.