Mother of Brianna Ghey urges schools to teach mindfulness

Brianna, who was transgender, was murdered in Warrington in February

Brianna Ghey was just 16 years old when she was killed
Published 7th Nov 2023
Last updated 7th Nov 2023

Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl, tragically lost her life in a stabbing in Warrington in February. Her death deeply affected people nationwide, leading to candlelit vigils across the country.

In the months after, Brianna's mother, Esther Ghey, encountered online trolling abuse, prompting her to start a campaign in her daughter's memory.

Esther Ghey

She aims to introduce mindfulness in primary and secondary schools in England to support students' mental health.

Esther hopes that by incorporating mindfulness into the curriculum, young people can become more empathetic and better equipped to cope with life's challenges.

The Peace In Mind campaign is currently raising funds to train teachers and implement mindfulness in schools.

Brianna Ghey

We've been speaking to local community reporter, Tom Bedworth, who is working alongside Esther: "Not everyone is going to need these tools, every day of their lives, but it's about having a tool kit there that if you need it, you can call on it.

"If you teach kids from early on what mindfulness is and how to build their mental resilience, it gives people a chance to have their own space to feel negative emotions without feeling as though they have to repress them and bury them.

"What we are doing is looking at things logically and practically, and thinking children spend most of their time in school... That is where you have their attention so this is where the focus of this training is.

"We want to make sure schools aren't out of pocket to send members of staff on these training courses and that's where we come in with the fundraising."

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