Engaged with young people across the district
The youth council set up surveys and engaged with young people across the district about their experiences of mental health. This information was used to formulate the ideas for the mental health campaign. Our campaign aim is to raise awareness of young people’s mental health issues and reduce stigma
Mental Health Workshop
We held a mental health workshop on the 26th June 2019 to gather the views of people across the district that worked with young people or have an interest in young people’s mental health. The Youth Council were really pleased with the range of participants and organisations represented on the day and felt that their interest supported their view, that young people’s mental health is an important topic for the District.
The workshop was designed to be interactive and to challenge people to consider common perceptions around the mental health and wellbeing of young people. Everyone actively participated and made a pledge to help and the Youth Council are now using these pledges, to inform their campaign planning.
Partnership working
The members used all of the information gathered through engagement and workshops, and discussion with other young people, to contribute the following actions to the Rochford and Castle Point Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy action plan:
- To show young people that they are not alone, and they can access immediate and relevant information, and longer-term support from helpful organisations across the district
- To raise awareness amongst young people that mental health is a personal issue, which can impact on different people in different ways and it is not just a stereotype.
We used online survey tools and key networks to engage with young people across both Castle Point and Rochford districts about these actions to make sure that they reflected children and young people’s needs.
Social Media
We use our social media accounts on twitter and Instagram to share information, support and tips on mental health and common issues as well as sharing events and information from other local organisations interested in mental health and wellbeing.
We have recently made a mental health awareness video. We worked together to develop the storyboard and script and starred and directed in it together. We felt that the story was one which young people can relate to. Watch the video
We are planning a follow up video to be made later in the year and we will be surveying our peers to measure any impact our campaign has had within the community.
Mental Health Conference
We have recently applied for additional funding and are working with partners that provide support to young people in the district to develop the ideas for a conference.
Rochford Youth Council would like to progress our mental health campaign in the 4 secondary schools in the Rochford District, Fitzwimarc, Sweyne Park, King Edmund and Greensward.
The aim of our mental health campaign is to raise awareness, stop the shame or stigma around having a mental health issue by encouraging young people to talk to each other.
We want to put on a Young Peoples Mental Health Conference delivered through the district’s schools. We will work with schools to identify key students to participate.
We want to arrange mental health first aid training for ourselves and selected young people from each school to be delivered through the conference. We want to consider how we can deliver this in a digital way.
We hope this work:
- will educate young people and convey understanding that mental health can be a very isolating and lonely place to be
- will encourage young people to talk to others, make friends and reduce the stigma of MH
- help to build resilience in young people and reduce stress levels
- help young people in the district to make better life choices
We will keep you all updated as we make progress on our campaign by regularly updating this page