To help raise awareness for World Mental Health Day, the Foundation has teamed up with the Mental Health Foundation to create a toolkit aimed at supporting young people at secondary school.

The Chelsea Champions team, who are based in secondary schools across London, Sussex and Essex, support students with their mental health, wellbeing and resilience.

They have designed the Mental Health Toolkit to aid student’s mental health journey keeping their minds and bodies happy, healthy and ready to learn.

The toolkit has been created in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation, a charity who since 1949, have been the UK’s leading charity for people’s mental health.

With prevention at the heart of what they do, they aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.

Students can utilise the resources to work alongside their parents, carers, teachers or Chelsea Champions, aiming to provide introductory information, practical activities and sign posting to additional support services.

Senior Chelsea Champion officer Georgia Kouppas said: ‘The current COVID-19 crisis has brought with it many challenges, not least the strain it’s placed on individuals’ mental health.

‘We have had the great pleasure of working with the Mental Health Foundation to produce an interactive resource for our Chelsea Champion schools and Foundation participants, with the aim of providing encouragement for reflection and motivation to put one’s mental health first.'

Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, Mark Rowland, said: ‘World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, and aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and find ways of supporting the importance good mental health.

‘The World Health Organisation has made clear its view that there is no health without mental health. This simple statement makes it clear that good mental health is a vital part of healthy living.

‘Being mentally healthy doesn’t just mean that you don’t have a mental health problem. Just as it is possible to live a healthy lifestyle with, for example, diabetes, so you can live a mentally healthy lifestyle whether you have a diagnosed mental health condition, or just want to be at your best.

‘If you’re in good mental health, you can make the most of your potential; cope with life; play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends.

‘Some people call mental health ‘emotional health’ or ‘wellbeing’ and it’s just as important as good physical health.

‘Looking after your mental health is particularly important if you are facing challenges in your day-to-day life and this year has been particularly challenging for many of us.

‘So, this World Mental Health day, we encourage everyone to treat yourselves and others with compassion and kindness, connect with others, and focus on the things you enjoy.’

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