QUIETER teenagers in Liskeard are being offered a new place to meet and make friends without the pressure of having to be outgoing.

A series of free weekly meet-ups will begin at Liskeard Public Hall later this month, following a successful pilot event held in the town before the summer holidays.

The sessions, run by Quiet Connections CIC, will be open to young people aged 14 to 18 in Year Groups 10 to 13 and will take place every Friday evening (6.45pm) from September 25 until December 4.

The project has a particularly strong local connection, with sessions being led by Liskeard-born psychology graduate and SEN teaching assistant Ellie Zalick.

Ellie, who grew up in the town, has been running sessions for quieter adults and young people across South East Cornwall for almost four years. She developed the idea for the teenagers’ meet-ups after carrying out research into the experiences of quieter young people while studying psychology.

Her research involved surveying young people about their experiences at school, with their responses helping shape a community programme designed around their needs.

A pilot gathering was then held in Liskeard in June, giving local teenagers the opportunity to help influence what a regular group could look like.

The new Friday sessions will take place in the Wheal Phoenix Room and will have a deliberately relaxed and flexible format.

Rather than expecting everyone to take part in the same activity, teenagers will be able to choose how they spend their time. Options could include creative activities, writing, games, chatting or mindful colouring.

The sessions are aimed at teenagers who describe themselves as quiet, shy, introverted or highly sensitive, as well as those who experience social anxiety.

Ellie said: “It’s important to me that quieter young people have a space where they can connect with like-minded people; somewhere they feel accepted for who they are and comfortable in their own quiet skin.

“I think being a teenager can be a particularly difficult time to feel like you belong, especially when you feel different from the people around you. I know that, growing up, I often felt like I was on the outside looking in; like I didn’t quite fit.

“I want quieter teenagers to know that there is a place for them here.”

Quiet Connections founder Hayley Stanton said: “Young people can be under a lot of pressure to speak up, join in quickly and appear confident. We want to offer another kind of social space, where quieter young people can get to know others and take part in ways that work for them.”

The organisation, which has worked with quieter people in Cornwall since 2018, already runs an established adult Meet Up in Liskeard.

The new youth sessions have been made possible by a £1,016.47 grant from the Carew Pole Fund, administered by Cornwall Community Foundation, meaning they will be free to attend.

Young people, parents and carers can find out more at www.quietconnections.co.uk or contact [email protected]