Extra mental health support to be offered to Norfolk schoolchildren
It'll give young people the tools to manage things like stress and anxiety
Last updated 27th May 2022
Thousands of Norfolk schoolchildren are to be offered additional support with their mental health as part of a major new council project.
Norfolk County Council's 'Rise Up' programme will be delivered at more than 60 schools and academies in the county.
Norwich based Future Action will train teachers across the county to tackle issues like anxiety and low confidence amongst young people.
They also give teachers training in how to deliver Relationship, Health and Sex Education classes to children.
Young people will be offered physical activities to tackle stress as well as lessons on mindfulness, self-kindness and healthy and un-healthy habits.
The aim is to boost the ability of young people to maintain their mental wellbeing.
The project has already been trialled at several Norfolk schools, including the City Academy in Norwich and Hethersett Academy.
Councillor John Fisher, from Norfolk County Council, said: “We’ve been delighted with the response from Norfolk’s secondary academies and special schools, which have been very keen to take part in this programme to help their staff improve their range of early intervention skills.
“Mental health and wellbeing is what young people across the county have been consistently highlighting to us as the issue they are most concerned about – they’ve made this clear after hundreds voted it their top priority in the recent Make Your Mark ballot during the Norfolk Youth Parliament elections.
“More consistently providing early intervention strategies and learning, and identifying those young people who need help earlier, are both key to improving support and we’re confident this programme will help to deliver these aims.”
Neil Moggan, founder of Future Action, said: “We are delighted to create this partnership with the council and Norfolk’s schools and academies to improve support for the mental wellbeing of young people.
“This programme has already had significant impact in a number of schools, and we are thrilled that we can now extend this offer further to more schools so we can help many more young people now and long after they have left education.”