East Kent Mind School Ambassador Project – launches in Margate
Our new East Kent Mind School Ambassador Project worked with its first school recently. The Project has been set up to help Primary Schools provide their children with the skills to help each other with their mental health.
Lynne Hallowell, Training and Volunteer Lead, talking to Year 5 pupils at St Gregory’s Roman Catholic Primary
Our Training and Volunteer Lead, Lynne Hallowell visited St Gregory’s Roman Catholic Primary in Margate to speak to some of their Year 5 pupils. The young people received training from Lynne and East Kent Mind that will empower them to be mental health ambassadors within their school.
The training is funded by Kent Community Foundation and gives the pupils an understanding of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, which is adapted for children, and aims to give them the skills to be able to speak to fellow pupils about their mental health.
The 5 Ways to Wellbeing, are: Connect; Take Notice, Get Active, Keep Learning and Give – and offer the young people some simple steps which they can use every single day.
The trainee-Ambassadors tried their hands at journaling, practised grounding techniques, talked about things they do to connect with each other and to be active, shared fun facts about themselves, as well as making jars of happiness, decorating cups and writing inspirational messages to each other.
The Project training has been spilt into four sessions and after the third session, the children were presented with a Wellbeing Ambassador Badge and certificate to show they have undertaken the Project. They will also receive a further session of training, and complete the course, in September when the school re-opens after the holidays.
Year 5 pupils with their Ambassador Certificates
Lynne Hallowell said: “It was lovely to receive such positive feedback from the school and clear to see that the young people really enjoyed the session. We will be back in September for their final session and will be giving them more training to enable them to talk to classmates about their mental health, and become ambassadors for East Kent Mind.”
If you work would be interested in finding out more about the training, please contact: simondolby@eastkentmind.org.uk
There is a fee for the Project. Schools or PTAs may want to fund the training, alternatively East Kent Mind may have limited grant funding available.
