A head teacher has become a trailblazer in highlighting the ever-increasing number of children displaying mental health issues during the pandemic.

Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity with more than 25 years’ experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools, has set a challenge to Step Out and walk a mile a day for 31 days to underpin their mission.

But Hilary Henderson of St Paul’s Primary School, Royton is crunching the numbers and planning to run all 31 miles this week as a fund raiser to enable the charity to reach more families.

She said: “ As with many colleagues in schools, we are faced with an ever increasing number of children displaying various levels of mental health issues, particularly relating to anxiety, fears and low mood.

“We are now having to prioritise supporting our children and families who have experienced high levels of stress due to isolation.

“They also face fears, due to underlying health conditions and bereavement and stress due to being absent from one of the places considered as a ‘safe’ place where there is consistency and routine where children have missed contact with their teachers and friends.

“There are several organisations and charities providing expert professional advice and counselling, but due to the ever-increasing number of cases presented to them, there are huge pressures to enable adequate support to be provided in a timely way.”

Place2Be provide mental health support in schools through one-to-one and group counselling using tried and tested methods backed by research.

“As this is mental health awareness week, I wanted to challenge myself to complete this task in one week. I have set out to run around our Daily Mile Track at school 225 times which will equate to 31 miles," the headteacher said.

“Several classes and staff members including the chair of governors,Janet Wright, will be joining in across the week.”

On her Just Giving page Hilary says: “With so much uncertainty in the world, children and young people need emotional support now more than ever.

“That's why I'm taking part in Step Out for Mental Health with Place2Be.

“ I am planning to do this over one week as a personal challenge. Place2Be is the UK's leading provider of school-based children's mental health services.

During lockdown, they have been working tirelessly to provide support to children and families who need them most.

£30 could pay for a vulnerable family to get support from a mental health professional.

For many isolated families this is a lifeline, giving them access to basic necessities like food.- £100 could help 14 children to reach Place2Be and talk about their fears anxieties and low mood. Thank you for supporting me.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hilary-henderson?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=hilary-henderson&utm_campaign=pfp-whatsapp&utm_term=3adaeecd41e34ef39f576d951ffadfc9