A look at Airplay stations during this years' Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week
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Every year a theme is assigned to Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. Each theme has different objectives, designed to encourage all-round understanding of mental health conditions, disorders, and management.
The Benevolent Fund have caught up with some Airplay Beneficiaries to discuss the importance of having communities in place which support young people and prioritise their mental health.
This year the theme for the week is ‘Let’s Connect’, emphasising on the importance of making meaningful connections, which positively impact our mental health and create reliable support systems to fall-back on in the event of an unexpected mental health dip.
Many children across the ages of primary – secondary school have access to free resources which are designed to lower the chances of developing poor quality mental health. Similarly to the RAF Benevolent Fund’s Airplay charity, these resources can range from classroom counselling to interactive group activities.
An Airplay beneficiary has shared her thoughts on the importance of friendships and connections: “Airplay has helped me to feel more confident in my day-to-day life. I always feel as if my voice is heard and that I am supported by my peers and youth workers. I love coming to Airplay and feeling accepted by the friends I have made.”
Due to the nature of careers in the RAF few children of serving RAF veterans have a stable school and home life. With deployment calling for relocation and the unpredictability of service causing anxiety and unease, many children are grateful for the sense of stability that having an Airplay station gives them.
An RAF Parent from Lossiemouth, has shared thoughts on Children’s Mental Health Week, saying: “Staff are amazing with the children. Really dedicated to getting to know each child well and very supportive of their well-being, especially when parents are deployed".
Another Airplay member said: “Airplay helps me to be myself and has really brought my confidence up since starting to come. It is something to look forward to if I am not feeling my best. It helps me to be social and to meet new people. It has a great sense of belonging and makes my thoughts feel heard.”
‘Place 2 Be’ is offering free ‘Let’s Connect’ themed resources to schools, clubs, parents, and carers. Across the UK many Airplay stations will be implementing these resources and using them for the purpose of mental health focussed activities.