Legendary dance venue hosts huge mental health awareness event for pupils

A legendary dance venue in Manchester was transformed for a huge mental health awareness event for pupils across the city-region.

Depot Mayfield played host to 215 Greater Manchester schools and a series of live performances, workshops and lessons to explore the wellbeing and mental health challenges faced by young people – as well as the support available to them.

The events programme was designed by young people and was delivered in partnership with Manchester-based mental health charity 42nd Street.

The event was part of the #BeeWell programme; a collaboration between the University of Manchester, the Anna Freud Centre and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority which aims to survey young people’s wellbeing and bring about positive change.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “BeeWell Day is all about celebrating our young people across Greater Manchester.

"It has been a challenging 18 months for many, but the resilience and creativity of our young people is plain to see both in the events here and through our wider work in Greater Manchester around Life Readiness and the Young Person’s Guarantee.

“I am thrilled that so many schools across the city region have signed up to take part in the #BeeWell survey as we look to prioritise young people’s wellbeing coming out of this pandemic.”

More than 90pc of mainstream schools across the city region have been involved.

The survey, published today here, was co-created by 150 young people in secondary schools across Greater Manchester.

It’s set to be the biggest survey of its kind and has been overseen by academics.

In the Depot there was live performances and streams from Bury Met Youth Theatre, KYSO, Spectrum Gaming and Reform Radio.

Schools and youth organisations led their own activities and celebrities are invited to share their own experiences of supporting their wellbeing.

An old school bus has also been travelling around secondary schools for the past weeks across Greater Manchester and arrived at the Depot decorated in creative interpretations of what wellbeing means to the young people there.

Simone Spray, chief executive of mental health charity 42nd Street, said: “Greater Manchester #BeeWell Day is such an important pioneering event that gives us all the chance to celebrate and be inspired by young people.

“The day – and the survey to follow – will be young people’s chance to share their experiences and insights and help shape future services and opportunities across Greater Manchester, which is so needed after such a complicated and challenging 18 months.”

Meera Saravanan, member of the #BeeWell Youth Steering Group, said: “#BeeWell wants to listen to young people’s voices and act together for change.

"We have created this #BeeWell Day so that every young person feels like it’s something they can get involved in, whether it’s by writing, dancing or painting a massive school bus!”

The campaign is also linking in with a comprehensive study of children’s wellbeing measurement produced by the What Works Centre for Wellbeing, Children’s Society and the Health Foundation – which can be seen here

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