The group wrote two songs:

Different

“The last 12 months and the pandemic has really affected so many people…we now live in a much different world to before and we have been changed as a result.”

No Space 

This song highlights the difficulties children and young people faced during the pandemic, and the importance of being there for each other through support and guidance.

What did the groups explore?

Film group

One group worked with film maker, Meg, to come up with a short film that brought to life some of the issues children and young people face when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. Body shaming was a theme they were keen to explore, and made a creative film on the topic.

“Body shaming is a real issue for young people and we want to tell people to be more body positive.”

Design groups 

The groups explored how they could portray feelings and thoughts around mental health and wellbeing through designs.

One of the groups created an informative presentation on different areas of mental health, and suggestions on how to get support and help.

“Painting makes me feel like I’m in my own bubble – it’s a way to escape and express myself”.

What came out of the discussion?

A citizens priority report was written last September where children and young people were asked what their priorities were. This feedback fed into the rapid Population Needs Assessment undertaken last year.

We used the Nurturing, Empowering, Safe, Trust  (NEST) framework to help us plan a meaningful conversation.  You can watch a film on NEST here. 

This event reinforced that good mental health, wellbeing and resilience is a top priority for the children and young people that we spoke to.

We will share a more detailed report from the event soon!

Thank you to everyone who was involved.