Children’s Mental Health Week sees schools art competition launched

Monday 6 February marks the start of a weeklong national campaign for Children’s Mental Health Week (6 to 12 February) with a special theme of ‘Let’s Connect’, putting a focus on the power of meaningful connections on our mental health.

Healthy connections with our friends, families and those around us positively impact our mental health and wellbeing and can make a huge difference to how we feel. When these healthy connections aren’t there, it can have a negative impact on our mental health such as; feeling isolated, low in mood and lonely.

To raise awareness of the campaign and get children and young people talking, Northamptonshire’s Healthy Schools Service together with schools in West Northamptonshire are launching an art competition for pupils to create a design which shows ‘good mental health’. The winning design concepts from the competition, will be used to inspire a local willow-weaving artist in the final design of a sculpture that will be displayed in a West Northants country park.

Feeling well connected to your friends, family and those around you is so important in how we feel in our every day lives and it is great to see this being recognised as part of this awareness week to get children and young people talking.

As well as connecting with each other, there is also a need to connect with services should a child or young person need to do so and there is lots of support out there to access whether it be directly or via a health professional.Cllr Matt Golby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health at West Northamptonshire Council

It is really encouraging to see schools taking part in this awareness week and helping to put a spotlight on the importance of healthy connections. Creating environments that are safe, comfortable and encourage conversations about mental health make a huge difference in helping children and young people enjoy good mental wellbeing.Cllr Baker, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at West Northamptonshire Council

For information on mental health and wellbeing services available for children and young people, please visit: Urgent mental health help and support.