You Said, We Did: Mental Health and Wellbeing Day
In 2023 Healthwatch Lancashire conducted Waiting for Wellness, a project which aimed to understand the mental health challenges facing children and young people (CYP). Our findings revealed that many CYP were unaware of where to seek support and face long waiting times to access services, while neurodivergent people often struggle to get the help they need.
Following this study, Healthwatch Lancashire Senior Engagement Officer Emmy Walmsley partnered with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to work on a campaign called Action For Wellness. This initiative seeks to provide information, support, advice, training and workshops across Lancashire to support professionals, young people and parents to ensure they are equipped with the right support.
What Healthwatch Lancashire did
In addition to an online campaign, a launch event was organsied to provide support for both young people and parents on Sunday 9th February 2025 at Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley. The launch event brought together providers supporting Healthwatch Lancashire and the NSPCC, including Lancashire Mind, Child Action North West, The Family Wellbeing Service, Lancashire Positive minds, We Are With You, Youth Voices, Social Prescribers and Inspire Youth Zone.
This event provided parents and young people with in-person support from various providers, and also hosted an art competition for young people to get involved with to win a prize. We were joined on the day by the Mayor and Mayoress of Chorley, who were introduced to all the organsations and also helped support with judging the art competition.
On the day there were over 160 conversations with young people and parents to provide help and support. These conversations included discussions about:
- Worry and how wellbeing coaching can help.
- Mental health week and the 5 ways to wellbeing.
- Information on ChildLine and what support they can provide.
- Raising awareness of mental health disorders in children and young people.
- Sharing problem solving, worry tree, discussions about neurodiversity, autism, ADHD and dyslexia.
- Strategies for young people and parents to use at home and signposting.
Many referrals were made on the day to support young people and parents, including to Building Connection (an organization run by the NSPCC), SEND services, Talk Zone, Inside Out, Lancashire Mind, Chat, Play and Read, Little Steps, baby and You, Dad’s Group, SENDIAS, Development Matters, Renew and Refresh, Colourful Footsteps, and Youth Provision. People were also signposted to Lancashire Positive Minds. One young person joined Lancashire Youth Voices.
At the end of the launch event, we asked parents for their thoughts on the event.
“I have found the event really helpful, its good to have all this support in one place as its hard to find online.”
“I have been supported today with my child who is currently struggling with mental health, and I have been able to find some strategies to use and help them.”
“Thank you for today, it’s been really helpful and I have managed to come away with a few ideas not just for me but for some of my friends to use.”
“I found this event really useful and it’s nice to meet new organsations I didn’t know existed so I’m happy about that.”
“I am really proud of my child they won the competition today and we are so grateful for the opportunity to join in with something like this.”
“These events need to happen more often, bring together people and share information to support the parents and young people.”
Healthwatch Lancashire would like to thank Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley for letting us hold the event there. The event was a big success, and a lot of parents and young people were able to access the support they needed.