‘Supporting Mental Health in Children and Young People in Oxfordshire’

This year pupils and staff will be carrying out house fundraising activities and running the Steeplechase for our school charity Oxfordshire Youth.

Our hope is that every pupil will be able to raise £100 over the coming months. We are asking each pupil to look for at least 20 sponsors among, family, friends and contacts. This is achievable if we work hard at our fundraising and support each other in our efforts. We ask the whole Teddies community to get behind this urgent campaign.

Who are Oxfordshire Youth?

Oxfordshire Youth are a boundary-breaking youth development charity working directly with young people, and the grassroots leaders, volunteers, and youth organisations who support them. They are the backbone of the county’s youth work sector, and the only group supporting local youth charities, youth clubs, and youth programmes to continue to deliver services.

Oxfordshire Youth Mental Health Ambassador Programme

Oxfordshire is one of three counties nationally where the roll out of mental health services has been slowest; meanwhile the youth mental health emergency continues to escalate with almost 1 in 5 pupils aged 7-to-16 thought to have a mental health disorder. Pupils at St Edward’s are lucky enough to have comprehensive support available in School. Through our fundraising, we aim to improve access to support for young people across Oxfordshire.

The Mental Health Foundation found that 50% of adult mental health problems are established by age 14, and 75% by age 24 - hence mental health intervention and preventative services make the biggest impact during youth and adolescence.

Due to cuts in funding, Oxfordshire Youth’s Mental Health Ambassador programme had to cease with just 6 weeks’ notice.

Oxfordshire Youth’s is seeking funding to save their Mental Health Ambassadors programme. They aspire to fill at least some of the gap that is now putting the lives and mental health of young people in Oxfordshire at greater risk.

Their Mental Health Ambassadors project channels young people’s lived experience of mental health issues into new ways to reach out and support 11-to-17 year olds.

If each pupil can raise £100 this will act as match funding, restarting the programme and helping to secure the Mental Health Ambassadors in Oxfordshire for three years. To find out more about the programme please click here.

We look forward to continuing our close partnership with Oxfordshire Youth and would ask you to please give what you can to support the work of this wonderful charity.