Published on: February 26, 2025
Children’s Mental Health Week took place between 3-9th of February, earlier this month. As a mental health support service that works with children across Derby and Derbyshire, this was an important week for Changing Lives.
Changing Lives Mental Health Support Teams visited schools across Derbyshire to attend events, run workshops and give special assemblies for the week, seeing and speaking to thousands of children and young people.
The theme of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week was “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself”, so many of the assemblies were about promoting ideas of self awareness and personal growth.
The Noel Baker MHST in Derby delivered assemblies on this theme to children at Shelton Junior School, Shelton Infant School, Zaytouna Primary School, Oakwood Junior School and Alvaston Infants and Nursery, led by Supervising Practitioners Lauren and Katie.
In these assemblies, Practitioners looked at what it means to “Know Yourself”. They talked to children about self awareness, and the ways that our likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses impact how we feel and make up who we are.
They also explored the ways that self knowledge and understanding can help children, and everyone, “Grow Themself”. They shared ideas for ways children can work to their strengths and around their weaknesses, set themselves goals, and other ways to develop themselves.
The Mental Health Lead at Alvaston, Mrs Carnall, told us that she “loved the assembly”, and that she was going to share it with her colleagues to reinforce the message throughout the school.
The team returned to Alvaston Infants later for a Parent’s Workshop on how to manage anxiety in children. “Zones of Regulation” were covered in particular, thanks to parents specifically requesting the topic. This group will continue in the Summer Term as a regular Parent’s Group on Anxiety.
The South Derbyshire Team also did a lot during the week, with a full slate of events that saw participation from over a thousand children, coordinated by Supervising Practitioner Yasmin.
The team discussed Children’s Mental Health Week with assemblies across the area, and ran sessions to introduce the service to staff who might not have heard of the work Changing Lives does.
The centrepiece of the week for the South Derbyshire MHST however was two full day carousel workshops on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. Here, children took part in a rotating set of activities related to one of the 5 Ways: Be Active, Keep Learning, Take Notice, Give and Connect. These principles are key to understanding how to safeguard your own mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Children’s Mental Health Week was established in 2014 by children’s mental health charity Place2Be. It’s goal is to “empower, equip and give a voice to all children and young people in the UK”, which is directly parallel to Changing Lives’ own mission.
Place2Be got in touch in response to the Children’s Mental Health Week work of Changing Lives:
“Love this! Thank you so much for sharing and supporting Place2Be and Children’s Mental Health Week 2025”
Children , Derby , Derby and Derbyshire Mental Health Support , Event , mental health , MHSTs , Schools , whole school approach