Kirkby pupils to Take Five for mental health at special event

Abbey Hill Primary School, Morven Park Primary School and Kirkby College have all been taking part in the Take Five Programme, which teaches children from an early age to be kind and gives them the tools that can help them to better deal with anxiety and strong emotions such as anger, and it also offers them a positive strategys to handle stress and strains.

The children and teachers in Kirkby have adopted the programme at school to build confidence, aspiration and resilience.

So far in Kirkby, there are 1,400 children who are, and have been using, the practice daily for more than two years.

More than 60 schools across north Nottinghamshire are using it.

Helen Whitney, founder of Each Amazing Breath and the Take Five Programme, is currently focused on assisting children, teachers and parents to safely build internal capacity, realise their own innate strength, how to be resilient and have the capacity to handle anything life throws at them.

She said: “It’s a culture shift in mental health and wellbeing – if we have a problem then we try to do something about it and it’s a skill that that children can practice themselves.”

The event at Kirkby College will be child-led and delivered to adults and decision makers in their town.

They will also share how they have developed an ‘I can handle it’ mindset