Children’s Mental Health Week

06 February 2023

Children’s Mental Health Week is yet again set to help make a difference to the lives of children and young people across North Northamptonshire by shining a spotlight on mental health. 

This national campaign, which runs from 6 to 12 February, will see schools across North Northamptonshire once again getting involved, helped by resources from Northamptonshire’s Talk Out Loud programme (part of Northamptonshire Healthy Schools Service). 

Children’s Mental Health Week is an important campaign that provides opportunities for young people to have conversations about mental health. The theme this year is Let’s Connect - designed to encourage young people to connect with others in healthy, rewarding and meaningful ways.

Human beings thrive in communities, and when we have healthy connections – to family, friends and others – this can support our mental health and our sense of wellbeing. 

When our need for rewarding social connections is not met, we can sometimes feel isolated and lonely, which can have a negative impact on our mental health. 

The theme of Let’s Connect also includes additional connections - the support services young people can turn to should they feel that they need more help. They can find these at Ask Normen but if you think someone is struggling you can help connect them by sharing the website with them. 

Talk Out Loud has further expanded the ‘Let’s Connect’ theme to include connections with nature and has teamed-up with Northamptonshire-based willow-weaving artist Deb Jones to bring young people the exciting opportunity to create a design which reflects good mental health. 

Winning entries from the competition from both North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council areas will be used as inspiration by the artist, and then displayed at country parks later in the year. 

Noticing, thinking about, and appreciating our natural surroundings is really important in supporting good mental health. It’s important for all of us to try to connect with nature on some level, every day.    
 
I can’t wait to see the results of the collaboration between the young winners and our local natural artist. I hope that the resulting sculptures will continue to spark conversations about the importance of mental health for many years to come. Professor John Ashton, Interim Director of Public Health for North Northamptonshire Council