We were lucky enough to be invited to complete a Mental Health First Aid Training Day on Tuesday 27th September 2022 . We decided to take two children- Bitsy and Joshua- who were chosen due to their qualities within school. The two children along with Mr Coates visited Whitefield Infant School in Nelson, where we were met by other ‘Mental Health Champions’ from the other 12 SWAT schools.
The leader of the session was World Champion and 10x British Champion Inline Skater Jenna Downing. She shared her inspirational story with all of use. She talked about how she battled against prejudicial behaviour from a young age, given she was one of the only female skaters in Britain. In additions she shared how her and her families’ mentality got her through the times, when times were hard.
As part of the day the children completed a variety of team building activities, including a Dragon’s Den style activity where they had to pitch an idea of a club which would support children’s feelings and mental health.
Our children have decided to run a club during Autumn 2 which. The will involve raising awareness of mental health in children and giving the children techniques to help them cope with stress and pressure whether it be at school or home.
The children really enjoyed the experience- especially working with other ‘Mental Health Champions’ from schools in Burnley. They are now looking forward to the next meeting.
