Supporting positive mental health: Grant awarded to charity to support mindfulness programme for young people across the Valleys.

A charity providing a dedicated family support service to people across the Valleys has received £145k from the Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund. The money will support the roll out of its growth and mindset programme in primary and secondary schools across the Valleys.

Building Blocks Family Centre based in Resolven, undertook vital post-pandemic research in 2021 to explore the impact the pandemic had on anxiety and routine in young people.  Utilising the research, they have worked with teachers to develop a tailored programme for 9–12-year-olds to address and re-build emotional resilience, self-esteem, confidence, and anxiety. The programme is designed to help young people address their personal wellbeing and acquire skills they can use to overcome any future mental health struggles.

Since 2021, Building Blocks has worked in partnership with schools across the valleys to roll out its 10-week growth and mindset workshop with hundreds of pupils benefitting from the programme.

As well as working with schools, the programme also supports children with mental and physical disabilities to help work towards developmental milestones and socialisation skills through 121 sessions with and without parents. The programme also supports the families to help improve their knowledge and understanding on how to implement support for their children at home.

Ceri Prichard, co-founder of Building Blocks said: “The money from Pen y Cymoedd will help us to deliver a three-year programme, where we will work in partnership with more schools, community organisations and families to roll our mindfulness workshops out across the Neath and Afan Valleys. This will help children to understand the importance of not just looking after their physical body but their mental wellbeing too. Emotional self-care is vital in helping us build resilience and this project aims to achieve this.

“Since the pandemic, we have also seen an increase in separation anxiety among children with disabilities, along with developmental delay. Therefore, the funding will allow us to continue to work with families and children to ensure they receive specialist and tailored one to one support to help improve this emotional resilience, self-esteem and confidence.”

One of the schools involved in the programme is Cwmnedd Primary School in Glynneath. Sarah Harwood, Headteacher at Cwmnedd said, “Not only have the children thoroughly enjoyed the workshops run by Ceri and the team from Building Blocks, but the programme has really helped the children regain self- confidence and self-esteem that many lost during the pandemic.”

“We have noticed a change in the children’s ability to recognise when they might be struggling mentally and now have the skills to understand how to address this using the techniques learned during the programme.  The workshops have also helped the children develop vital skills to support their wellness and help to maintain positive mental health.”

Christine Evans, Head teacher at Ysgol Cwm Nedd, another school who has participated in the programme said; “The children reported feeling relief that they could speak openly and share their worries in a safe environment. They also said how relaxing the experience was and how it helped to boost their positivity. It really is a fantastic programme that we feel privileged to be part of.”

Kate Breeze, Executive Director at Pen y Cymoedd said: “Mental health is such an important subject to address among everyone, regardless of age. By presenting young children with the skills to manage and maintain a healthy and positive mental attitude, we hope it can prevent any future mental health problems.”

The Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund was established in 2017 by energy company Vattenfall and is designed to provide local individuals, groups, organisations, charities and businesses in Upper Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys with the opportunity to apply for funding to improve and grow a local service, product, project or activity.

Now in its fifth year, the fund has already catalysed a total of £20.1 million of community investment in the Welsh valleys, supporting more than 450 local projects and businesses in its first five years of operation.

For more information on the fund or to apply please click here

For more information on Building Blocks please click here https://buildingblocksfamilycentre.co.uk/