Supporting Children's Mental Health Week at the Foundation | OneFootball

The Leeds United Foundation has partnered up with The PIECES Project to deliver bespoke workshops whilst launching their new Premier League Inspires initiative in line with Children's Mental Health Week.

The specialised sessions have been hosted at one of our Secondary School Hubs, Bishop Young Academy, by coaches from the club's official charity, with the aim of getting students to use art and creativity as a way of managing their mental health and wellbeing.

Children's Mental Health Week runs from Monday 9th February through to Sunday 15th February, and the theme this year is "This is My Place" encouraging youngsters to feel safe, valued and connected in their environment. The Foundation were keen to get involved in the campaign, helping to raise awareness around the annual event and using the creative sessions to empower the young pupils to discuss their feelings.

The workshops have proved to be incredibly successful, with some of the more anxious and often restless students finding the space to engage well with our coaches and The PIECES Project staff, creating their very own wellbeing wreaths - something they can take home with them and be proud of.

Through the feedback forms provided at the end of the sessions, one student commented: "It was so great to be able to just take time to do something creative, talking about emotions and mental health was so much easier when everyone was doing this."

Another added: "It was easy to chat to each other about things when you are all thinking about something different, like art."

"Friendships are really important, and being able to talk about things with friends is really important, sometimes it's embarrassing, but the next day it's all okay," a third said.

The PIECES Project is a social enterprise that delivers creative, sustainable and entrepreneurial workshops for young people, with a mission to inspire and equip individuals across West Yorkshire to thrive personally and professionally.

One of the teachers at Bishop Young Academy said: "The sessions that were held provided fantastic support for the students in attendance. Some of the students are incredibly energetic and boisterous and to have them put their focus and energy into something creative was wonderful to see."

The Premier League Inspires programme will be delivered in schools across the region, with Foundation staff on hand to engage local children in activities and discussions around important topics, these first sessions showed how art could be used as a coping mechanism and help students express themselves.

For further information, please contact Louise.Owens@leedsunited.com.