School launches Wellbeing Ambassador programme in Canterbury
Lyla Jenkins is a sixth-form student at Langton’s in Canterbury and has written about the introduction of the Wellbeing Ambassadors project at the school. Thanks to the school and Lyla for the support.
Students Supporting Students: Langton’s Wellbeing Ambassador Programme – by Lyla Jenkins
Following a visit in Term 4 from Simon Dolby, the Development Lead at East Kent Mind, Year 12 students were given the opportunity to volunteer themselves as Mind ‘Wellbeing Ambassadors’ for the school, and nine students have been successfully selected to be enrolled in this project.
East Kent Mind is an independent local mental health charity and part of the Mind federation. It relies on fundraising and donations to provide a range of support for people experiencing mental health and wellbeing problems.
Currently, the charity is making efforts to highlight the importance of conversation, with schemes such as the ‘Barbershop Project’, providing local barbers with training and guidance on mental health first aid, allowing them to recognise changes in returning clients, and begin conversations surrounding mental health in an environment which many find less pressurised than a GP surgery.
Their next focus is on supporting the younger generation, especially at a time when, according to the World Health Organization, one in seven 10–19-year-olds experience a mental health disorder.
Therefore, East Kent Mind is making an effort to provide access to support for students in schools, by equipping older students with the skills needed to begin conversations surrounding mental health, creating peer-on-peer support networks, that aim to remove the pressure and stigma that often surround these conversations.
The Year 12 ambassadors attended their first meeting on the Wednesday 3 June, where they learned about local initiatives to promote mental health, along with being taught how to start mental health conversations, advising others about dealing with stress, and how to approach discussions on more serious topics such as suicide.
Simon Dolby said: “The charity is really excited to have its first group of Langton students joining the ranks of its Wellbeing Ambassadors and can’t wait to start planning activities and events to raise the profile of mental health as a topic, encourage positive conversations around mental health and to create activities to support the mental wellbeing of students.
“Ambassadors will shortly be invited to a special Badging Ceremony officiated by the Lord Mayor of Canterbury where they will receive their official East Kent Mind Wellbeing Ambassador certificate and badge.”
If you would like more information about the Wellbeing Ambassador project, visit our webpage.
