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Pre-teen children will be given a backpack filled with items to build mental wellbeing and resilience, as part of a scheme by child mental health experts that launches today.

The 'Resilience Rucksack' project will see more than 1,000 Year 6 and 7 pupils (aged 10-12) in Berkshire and Oxfordshire receive a rucksack they will fill with specially designed wellbeing tools and resources.

These include a comic book, pop song, playing cards, journal, pedometer and more, all focused on promoting four key themes of wellbeing: healthy sleep, physical activity, self-compassion and friendships.

The pioneering project is the culmination of over two years’ work, including a review of the latest scientific evidence, consultations with young people, teachers, parents and mental health experts, and 20 co-production workshops where the unique wellbeing products were developed together with pupils themselves.

Today [Wednesday 6 March] sees the launch of the first in a series of 'Resilience Fairs' that will initially take place at eight schools in ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, Wokingham, Abingdon and Newbury.

Around 1,200 pupils in total will visit themed booths to learn more about the science behind psychological resilience and choose the types of tools they want to take away and try. 

Professor Stella Chan, Charlie Waller Chair in Evidence-based Psychological Treatments at the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, who is leading the project, said:

“The transition from primary to secondary school can be an incredibly challenging time for young people’s mental health. By engaging pupils directly in this innovative and creative way, we hope to provide them with fun and evidenced-based tools to support their resilience throughout their school years, and for life.

“A key focus has been not just looking at the research but truly listening to the lived experience of young people themselves through co-production. The resulting products are rooted in science and reflective of what pupils have told us could make the biggest difference.”

Dr Clea Desebrock, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, who has been working closely with young people and schools on this project, said: “It was wonderful to be able to consult with school pupils who helped us steer the choice, design, and creation of the wellbeing tools; voting in and out tools and their features, advising us on how to make everything engaging and cool, and on how the tools should be introduced at the Fairs. A key theme that emerged was the importance of the children’s own agency in choosing the tools for themselves, which we have made a key feature in the design of the Fairs.”

Partnership in action

The £100,000 initiative has been made possible through major fundraising efforts and the support of partners, including the Charlie Waller Trust and the Jasmine Foundation charities for young people’s mental health. A number of private donors have also generously donated towards the scheme.

The researchers are planning to collect feedback before and after the Resilience Fairs, with more in-depth longitudinal studies planned to evaluate the impact of the tools and overall approach to children’s wellbeing.

Professor Chan said: “We are immensely grateful to the schools, pupils, parents and other partners who have engaged so enthusiastically with this project. By working together in this way, we hope to deliver a real positive impact on the mental health of young people in our communities.”

Railton Blyth, director of safeguarding for the Circle Trust, which includes six primary and two secondary schools in Wokingham, said: “We are proud to be the first partner schools to host a Resilience Fair. I am excited about the potential of this project to make a difference to our students’ mental health and wellbeing.

“With NHS mental health services under immense pressure, schools and families know how important it is to support all our young people with their mental wellbeing from an early stage. The Resilience Rucksack will provide our students with a fantastic range of wellbeing support that is practical, proactive and proven to work, at a key transition point between primary and secondary school.”