Schools and colleges

Bloom is a free UK-wide programme which supports young people’s mental health resilience. The programme equips young people with the tools and knowledge to maintain their mental health through life’s transitions, both now and in the future. Find out more about the programme and how your school or college can get involved.

Supporting young people

At Mental Health UK we understand the growing need to support young people, with most long-term mental health problems beginning during adolescence.

75% of mental illnesses start before a person’s 18th birthday.

Research has shown that providing early preventative support can help to avoid deterioration in a young person’s mental health and equip them for the challenges of everyday life.

That’s why we created Bloom. A UK-wide programme for 14-18 year olds which focuses on supporting and building mental health resilience.

The programme

We gathered insight from young people and from teachers across the UK to build a programme around what young people have told us they want and need. Bloom equips young people with the tools and knowledge to maintain their mental health through life’s transitions – such as moving through school, changing friendship groups, going to university, or starting employment.

Sessions are delivered through real-life scenario-based discussions on relatable topics such as social pressures and exam stress. Bloom will leave students with a better understanding and awareness of mental health in themselves and others. The programme will provide them with a suite of tools they can use, in ways which are right for them, both now and in the future when faced with challenges

A crucial part of delivering Bloom is how we work with teachers within your school or college. Over 8 sessions, our Bloom Associate Trainers will support and train teachers in the content of Bloom and the programme is co-delivered to the students. The content of Bloom is flexible so you can choose which sessions would be best for your cohort of students. Teachers will feel more confident in having conversations about mental health and resilience with their students.

With designated teachers continuing the future delivery of the programme, Bloom will positively impact the lives of more young people and leave behind a legacy within your school for years to come.

It’s thanks to the fundraising efforts of colleagues across Lloyds Banking Group that has allowed us to develop Bloom. Their dedicated support has enabled the delivery of this essential programme, building young people’s mental health resilience across the UK.

 

 

 

Topics covered include:

  • Resilience

  • Exam pressure

  • Friendships (bullying, conflict)

  • Social pressures

  • Decisions about the future

  • Managing stress

  • Work-life balance

The impact

Sian Oliver, Teacher Trinity Academy:

“The lesson headings were perfect for the age and stage of our young people and they have been really engaged with the content. It has been valuable for both young people with existing mental health issues and those with no concerns.”

Student at Mearns Castle, East Renfrewshire

“The multi-tasking exercise worked well for me, being able to see that doing too many things at once doesn’t work, doing one thing at a time is better”

Resources for schools and colleges

Watch our series of animated videos based on the mental health resilience workshops from Bloom. Each video focuses on a topic that young people have highlighted as important to them and supports building their resilience through suggested tools and techniques.

Getting your school or college involved

Free resilience training

Learn more about our free online teacher training happening throughout September and October 2020 to help support young people with the transition of returning to school.

Bloom leaflet

Download our Bloom leaflet which provides basic information about the programme and how you can get in touch with us.

Bloom charter

Ready to get started? Download the Bloom Charter which provides all the information your school or college needs, including the process and quality standards.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about Bloom and how it could work for your school or college, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.