A national initiative aimed at raising awareness of the importance of children and young people’s mental health is being embraced by Histon & Impington organisations wanting to give their support.
The theme of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is Let’s Connect, and organisers Place2Be have chosen this to highlight the role that communities can play in making positive connections for children. They are offering free resources that can be used by organisations and parents to explore mental health and wellbeing with the children and young people.
Histon Library, St Andrew’s Church Histon, Histon and Impington Brook and Park primary schools and Impington Village College are all taking part.
Histon Library
At the library, books to encourage healthy conversations are being presented for local children and teens. Young visitors will find displays called Reading Well for Teens and Reading well for Children in the Junior Non-Fiction area. Here, children and young people can borrow a range of helpful titles encouraging them to engage with, and explore their feelings.
Anna McMahon, Library Development Officer for South Cambs said: “We are keen to help children understand their feelings and sustain good mental health. The books in our Reading Well collections can encourage children and young people to find the confidence, or maybe just the words they need, to make those meaningful connections.”
Primary-aged children
Histon and Impington Brook and Park primary schools are making Children’s Mental Health Week fun with a special assembly, aimed at finding ways the school community can help support each other. There are also daily fun activities for the children, based around the theme of Let’s Connect. Staff and pupils will even learn a dance routine around the theme and will perform together at the end of the week.
Tim Blake, Children’s Team Leader at Saint Andrews Church Histon, is also thinking about connections this week. He said: “A lot of the coaching work we do in schools is about connecting to each other, to the world around us, and to our own emotions, in terms of recognising and understanding them.”
Youth wellbeing first
Impington Village College is highlighting Children’s Mental Health Week in its communications with students, and on its social media platforms. A group of pupils who are part of the student leadership team are scheduled to receive a full day of wellbeing training, so that they can support their peers in the future.
Principal Victoria Hearn said: “With one in six children and young people listed as having a diagnosable mental health condition, Children’s Mental Health Week has never been more important. We are proud to offer our students a supportive wellbeing programme all year round.”
Supporting mental health at home
For parents and carers wanting a starting point for conversations with their child about their mental health, Place2Be has free resources on its website. These include art activities for younger children with CBBC’s Art Ninja Ricky Martin, and more reflective activities for teens, led by UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador, Dr Alex George.
For more information on Children’s Mental Health Week, visit: childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk ;
Download top tips for families here: Families – Children’s Mental Health Week