Youth mental health campaign launched by Speakers for Schools

Social mobility charity Speakers for Schools has launched a national campaign to normalise conversations around mental health, empowering young people to feel confident in taking charge of their wellbeing.
 
The campaign, called Work/Life, will deliver a programme of talks from 37 high-profile speakers, ranging from leaders in the mental health sector through to Peers and actors who have struggled with mental health issues.
 
YouGov polling of over 2,000 young people commissioned by Speakers for Schools this summer found that mental health support and counselling was the most crucial tool for helping them recover post-Covid-19, particularly amongst 18-19 year olds who would’ve been starting university, an apprenticeship or searching for a job.
 
It has been widely reported how the pandemic has adversely impacted young people with disruption to studying and a drain of career opportunities. This campaign seeks to encourage conversations in acknowledgement of this difficult period, with talks being delivered to schools across the country, commencing on 22nd November 2021.
 
Speakers lined up include Emma Wadey, National Head of Mental Health Nursing at NHS England, Paul Farmer, the CEO of mental health charity Mind and Celebrity vocal trainer CeCe Sammy-Lightfoot. The speakers will cover important topics such as experiences of dealing with depression, how to stay mentally healthy, the importance of mental health charities, and how to empower young people when they feel most vulnerable.
 
Sophia Bailey, 15, a student from Montpellier School in Bristol, said: “During lockdown my mental health really suffered, spurring a real feeling of anxiety. I reached the point where I needed to start making career decisions but felt lost. It seemed like everyone around me knew exactly what they wanted to do which made me feel even more alone. The later decision to cancel exams was the cherry on the cake, making all the hard work and effort to study in difficult conditions meaningless.
 
“However, taking advantage of the work experience opportunities Speakers for Schools had to offer was one of the best choices I have ever made. I did a placement with Morgan Sindall Construction and it opened my eyes to all of the opportunities available to me and ultimately made me feel more confident in my future. I really encourage others to take part in this campaign, raising awareness of mental health issues amongst young people and encouraging people to speak up after what’s been a very intense two years.”
 
Jason Elsom, Chief Executive Officer, Speakers for Schools added: “The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of even the most resilient of us, let alone those at school and at pivotal stages in their lives. With education disrupted and employment opportunities affected, we recognise the importance of supporting young people in their career journeys where mental wellbeing is a key piece to this puzzle, ensuring optimum confidence and security for young people as they make the leap from school to work. We look forward to hearing the personal stories across our impressive line-up of inspirational speakers and encourage all employers and schools to get involved.”
 
Alongside the series of talks, the charity is facilitating 500 work experience placements will be organised with leading employers who are actively making the workplace a more supportive space, ensuring young people can enter the workplace confident that their mental health at work will be taken seriously. Employers signed up to take part includes Jackson Civil Engineering, Burness Paul LLP, and Central Bedfordshire Council and will involve sessions on inclusion and wellbeing in the workplace, the role of a mental health first aider, and specific challenges on roles such as social workers and civil engineers.