Empowering voices this Children’s Mental Health Week

Taking care of our and our children’s mental wellbeing has never been so important – with around one in six children now affected by mental health problems, according to NHS Digital.

To mark Children’s Mental Health Week, Mrs Morales, our Pastoral and SEND Coordinator, discusses this year’s theme – My Voice Matters – and everything we do here at Pilgrims to support our children.

It is alarming to learn that 55% of young people in the UK encounter obstacles when seeking mental health support. At Pilgrims, we firmly believe providing mental health and wellbeing support to our children is just as essential as their education.

The theme for this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week, My Voice Matters, is about empowering children by providing them with the tools they need to express themselves.

Feeling empowered can have a positive impact on our wellbeing. Children who feel their voices are heard and can make a difference have a greater sense of community and self-esteem.

Earlier this week Mr Orr and I held a school assembly to share why looking after our wellbeing is so important.

Throughout this week, the children will engage in various activities aimed at fostering self-expression and wellbeing. From art, drama and dance to writing and open discussions, we’re providing platforms for our children to articulate their emotions.

We will also introduce them to various mindfulness techniques, including breathing exercises and designated calm time – all designed to enhance their overall well-being.

At Pilgrims we work closely with Making Me, a charity which provides our school with invaluable help and support throughout the year. The charity is passionate about children’s mental health and at Pilgrims we follow their emotional resilience programme.

The initiatives we work on with Making Me encourage the children to talk about their feelings. We also work alongside all teachers and staff within school to ensure we are providing the correct support to those who need it – and we perform regular assemblies and workshops to keep parents up to date.

On Friday, we are inviting the children and staff to come dressed to express. The day will celebrate individuality and self-expression, whether that is through dance, music, art or simply wearing clothes that reflect their personal style.

As part of this expressive day, we are kindly asking for a minimum donation of £1 to Making Me for its continued support.

Contributions can be made in school, or through the charity’s Just Giving page here.

If you’d like to find out more about the work the Making Me charity do to support children’s mental health, you can visit their website here. Alternatively, if you have any other questions, please call us on 01234 369555.