Students from Sheldon School in Chippenham have given their headteacher a good soaking after raising money for children’s mental health services.
The school was participating in Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual event organised by the Mental Health Foundation to promote good mental health and celebrate the importance of community.
A number of events were organised during the week to raise awareness throughout the school community and to fundraise for local mental health charities Wiltshire Treehouse and Teen Talk. These included bake sales, a Row-a-thon, Wear it Green Day and an ice bucket challenge. Headteacher, Pete Lynch, promised that if the school community raised over £500, he would take on the viral ice bucket challenge himself.
Mr Lynch said he felt a mixture of excitement and nerves ahead of the event, but noted that, “It has been inspiring to see our community unite to raise funds for local charities and promote the importance of mental wellbeing. I’m deeply grateful to our students and parents for their enthusiasm and generosity.”
After smashing their fundraising target by raising over £700 for mental health charities, Mr Lynch suited up for his ice bucket challenge during the school’s lunch break. Several students won the honour of pouring buckets of water over their headteacher through a school-wide raffle and the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived to finish the job with their fire hose. Students and staff enthusiastically took over the hose to ensure their Headteacher was properly soaked while a crowd of children cheered him on.
“Mental health is an area that is often neglected and not talked about,” explained Mr Lynch. “But our aim is to make students aware of services available to them to equip students with the tools they need to look after their mental health, all while having a little fun.”
In addition to fundraising, a team of Sheldon Sixth Form Wellbeing Ambassadors delivered assemblies and lessons to younger students about the importance of community in supporting mental health. They spoke of their own struggles with mental health and encouraged their peers to reach out, ask for help and find a supportive community, because no one should struggle alone.
Local charities such as Teen Talk and Wiltshire Treehouse provide services and counselling for young people experiencing anxiety, low self-esteem, grief and other family issues. These organisations help young people to develop emotionally healthy futures by developing coping strategies, skills and confidence to manage daily life.
