Access to information can be crucial – especially when someone is in a difficult situation, experiencing a mental health crisis, violence, or simply doesn't know where or whom to turn to for help. In a large city like Wrocław, there are many institutions, organizations, and initiatives offering support to children, young people, and their families. Paradoxically, however, the abundance of scattered information, various communication channels, and changing contact details often make finding the right place to seek help challenging.
With this need in mind, the "Information on Support, Development, and Activity for Young Residents of Wrocław" was created – a publication that organizes knowledge about available forms of psychological, educational, and social support in one place. The guide was designed as a practical tool: one that can be accessed at school, at a local activity center, at a social welfare center (MOPS), library, or cultural institution, but also in a conversation with a parent, teenager, or person in crisis.
In the digital age, printed publications may seem anachronistic. However, experience working with young people and their caregivers shows the opposite – in situations of stress, emotional overload, or sudden crisis, printed material can be the most accessible and helpful. It doesn't require logging in, searching, or navigating multiple websites. You can simply pick it up, mark important issues, and return to it at any time.
That is why we decided to implement a project consisting in printing and widely distributing the guide, treating it as an element of strengthening the local support system and complementing city activities carried out for mental health and preventing violence against children and young people.
As part of the project, we printed 600 copies of the guide, which were then distributed free of charge to institutions and organizations working daily with children, youth, and their families in Wrocław. The publication was distributed to schools, Local Activity Centers, units of the Municipal Social Welfare Center, Centers for the Development and Activity of Children and Youth, cultural institutions, libraries, and social organizations working in the field of support and prevention.
Another significant moment of distribution was the release of the brochures during the conference "Ties that Protect. My Body, My Boundaries," organized by the Department of Health and Social Affairs of the Wrocław City Hall as part of the Wrocław Without Violence campaign. Thanks to the publication's presence at the event, the brochure reached a wide audience of professionals—those working in education, social services, healthcare, cultural institutions, and non-governmental organizations—who deal daily with topics related to safety, mental health, and the protection of children and young people.
The project was consistent with the city's ongoing efforts to prevent violence and promote mental health. Distributing the guide fit into the broader context of the Wrocław Without Violence campaign, strengthening its informational and educational dimensions. The publication not only promotes specific institutions and forms of assistance but also conveys a clear message: help is available, diverse, and free, and seeking support is natural and necessary.
The completed project demonstrated that the need for structured, accessible, and up-to-date information about the support system remains very high. The guide is now circulating institutionally and is being used effectively in our work with young people in Wrocław. For us, this confirms that even a simple tool (if well-designed and addressing a real need) can have a significant impact.
The project "Information on the support, development and activity of young residents of Wrocław" is implemented by Fundacja Ładne Historie thanks to funding from the Municipality of Wrocław (www.wroclaw.pl).
