Young people’s programmes
we run our programmes to deliver preventative support that equips young people with mental health knowledge and tools
Evidence shows that providing good, early preventative support in the right place at the right time can help to avoid deterioration of mental health in young people, and equip them for the challenges of everyday life.
Did you know that 75% of mental illnesses start before a person’s 18th birthday? That’s why we created Bloom – the largest UK-wide programme for 14-18 year olds which focuses on supporting young people’s mental health resilience – and Your Resilience.
Bloom
We’ve gathered insights from young people and teachers across the UK to develop Bloom, a program that equips young people with the tools and knowledge to support their mental health through life’s transitions – such as moving through school, changing friendship groups, moving to university or starting employment.
Delivered through scenario-based discussion and relatable topics, such as ‘social pressures’ and ‘exam stress’, Bloom will leave young people with a better understanding of mental health in themselves and others and useful tools to support their mental health.
We also work with teachers over an 8-week period to support and train them in using our teaching resources. Our aim is to enable teachers to continue using the programme, reaching more young people and making a lasting impact in schools.
Topics covered include:
- Resilience
- Exam pressure
- Friendships (bullying, conflict)
- Social pressures
- Decisions about the future
- Anxiety
- Low mood & depression
- Managing stress
- Work-life balance
Your Resilience
Your Resilience is delivered throughout the UK to young people aged 14-18 and supports young people’s mental health resilience.
The program is delivered in non-educational settings and aims to:
- Enhance the mental wellbeing of young people
- Support successful life transitions
- Build facilitators’ confidence in delivering Your Resilience.
To date, we have worked with youth organisations, community groups and CAMHS teams across Scotland.
Your Resilience is delivered through scenario-based discussion and relatable topics, offered as one-off sessions or as part of a full 7-week programme. There are two delivery options:
Your Resilience Lite: one-off mental health workshops, delivered in a group setting on any of the following topics:
- Resilience
- Anxiety
- Low mood & depression
- Exam stress
- Friendships (bullying/conflict)
- Social pressures
- Making decisions about the future
- Managing studies
- Work-life balance (juggling time).
Read our resources on mental health and how you can better understand mental health conditions.
Co-delivery programme: One of our associate trainers trains staff in the full Your Resilience programme and then goes on to co-deliver the programme for 7 weeks alongside the trained staff to groups of 10-15 young people. Staff will then have the resources and skills to deliver Your Resilience independently.
Change Mental Health is now offering fully funded workshops to Sports Clubs and Sports Talent Pathways to deliver our ‘Managing Injuries’ and ‘Managing the Selection and Deselection’ workshops to young people.
These one-hour workshops offer a refreshing perspective on resilience. Designed with input from young people, our workshops support and prepare young people in sports to cope during times of uncertainty and change.
If you are interested in hearing more about it, please get in touch with the team at bloom@changemh.org.
2022-23 Impact Report
Between September 2022 and December 2023, we delivered 1,540 Bloom and Your Resilience workshops across four UK nations.
As a result of these workshops, we have improved the understanding of mental health and confidence of 34,188 young people. According to our survey, 90% of the young people reported a better understanding of resilience, and 72% knew where to find help.
Additionally, we have trained 2,388 teachers and facilitators, expanding the reach of our programmes.
Me & Money
This programme was designed in response to the current rise in money anxiety among young people and the cost-of-living crisis, which is fuelling valid fears about personal and household finances.
Me & Money explores the interconnection between money & mental health. It is delivered through a one-hour workshop supported by a facilitator guidebook and young person toolkit.
Our approach: putting young people at the centre of development
We’ve co-produced key elements with young people to reflect and respond to their experiences and concerns about money. We listened to their needs for support with money challenges and what they wanted to learn about money.
What we aim to achieve:
- Help young people understand how money and mental health are connected
- Empower young people by helping them understand how our thoughts and actions about money can affect us
- Give young people skills and tools related to money that can help them now and in the future.
During the pilot, we delivered the programme to 225 young people across Scotland. 79% of young people surveyed found the workshop useful. Young people found the content interesting, informative and beneficial. To learn more about the evaluation of the Me & Money pilot, read our report below.
contact
Want to find out more about young people’s mental health resilience and the support we deliver to schools and colleges across Scotland?
If you need further information about Bloom or want to enquire about online training, resources or how we can help your school or college, contact the Young People Programmes team.
Do you have any more questions about the support Change Mental Health delivers across communities in Scotland? Contact our Advice and Support Service.
