Benenden Health supports schools outreach
11th October 2018
2000 primary school children across North Yorkshire to receive mental health workshops
‘Doing good does you good’ is the message of the fifth annual schools outreach programme called “Where’s Your Head At” targeted at primary schools as a joint collaboration between York City FC Foundation and Benenden Health.
This year’s programme focuses on promoting awareness of social and emotional wellbeing and positive mental health. The sessions aim to ensure the children feel confident enough to discuss their emotions. As well as being informative, the longer term focus for the young people will see them taking part in a class challenge to spread good cheer with simple good deeds and acts of kindness in their communities, that put other people’s needs before their own. Evidence shows that helping others is beneficial and has a positive effect on our own mental health and wellbeing as well as improving mood, self-esteem and happiness.
As part of Benenden Health’s vision - Together we improve the nation’s health - the organisation educates its members on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle in many formats. The schools outreach project has become a vital strand in their annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) calendar which has benefited over ten thousand children across North Yorkshire since 2014 with topics covering healthy eating, anti-bullying, sugar free and the importance of sleep as part of a healthy life.
Paula Stainton, Foundation Manager said, “The ‘Where’s Your Head At’ workshops are designed to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing amongst Key Stage 2 children in the school setting. It will provide them with the skills, coping strategies and resilience to prevent poor mental health through specifically designed interactive classroom based sessions and physical activities. Modern life is stressful and can impact on mental health, so implementing strategies for protecting children from stress and helping them learn to cope with change is an extremely positive influence on their young lives and prepares them for transitions to come.”
Nicola Taylor, CSR and Engagement Coordinator at Benenden Health said: “It’s very important for children of this age to get an understanding of health and wellbeing issues – for both mind and body - to help set them up with the tools to for a healthy life. We hope the workshops and the competition will enable them to see the importance of good deeds and carry this forward in their everyday lives.”
Paula continued, “Everything we deliver as a Foundation is about having a positive impact on the lives of the people we work with within our community, so these workshops are very exciting as they not only affect the young people we will work with, but also the lives of their families, loved ones, neighbours and communities with the good deeds initiative. We cannot wait to see what amazing tasks the young people do and feature their amazing deeds on our social media channels throughout the three months programme.”