Nine projects who successfully secured funding from HeadStart Hull, who held its very own Dragons Den style competition, to find new ideas to improving mental health in young people during the summer holidays are now promoting their projects.
The teams pitched their ideas on how their project could improve emotional wellbeing for children and young people during the summer break via an application. The competition generated a buzz of excitement by encouraging local organisations and young people to be innovative and develop an entrepreneurial spirit.
Each team submitted an application requesting funding but also to convince the judging panel that their project was a viable investment and its impact to children and young people across the city. Young HeadStart Hull volunteers gave up a lot of their free time to evaluate the bids on 28 March and organisations were informed of the outcome of the evaluation at the end of April.
Now the winning organisations are delivering their projects. Some of these include Beatz in Hull from Goodwin Development Trust and weekly fishing sessions from Hull and District Anglers Association.
The Beatz in Hull project is a five-week activity project in partnership with Hull Beats Bus, an award winning Hip-Hop workshops provider in a mobile recording studio, which was originally created as part of Hull City of Culture 2017, with the aim of helping young people to creatively express themselves. The workshops include a mixture of spoken word poetry, writing, performing and recording Hip-Hop lyrics, breakdancing, and graffiti writing. All sessions take place at the Octogan Family Centre*.
Scott Henderson, Youth Team Manager at Goodwin Development Trust, said: After being awarded funding through HeadStart Hull for last years film project Mermaid in Hull, which was a huge success, we have been lucky enough to secure more funding for this years summer programme. This involves working with another local organisation; Hull Beatz Bus, where we will be running workshops for young people to show off their existing skills and learn even more including Breakdancing, Lyric Writing, DJ skills and Graffiti.
The aim of these projects is to have fun, but also to help build emotional resilience and the ability to manage to feelings. None of this would have been possible without the support of HeadStart, who enable us with the opportunity to provide these fantastic sessions and projects for young people.
Hull and District Anglers Association is delivering a fishing project to young people during the summer holiday. Sessions are now running weekly 10am to 1pm Tuesdays at Willows Pond, Holderness Road and Wednesdays at Oak Road Pond, Beresford Avenue. Sessions are FREE to attend with all equipment, bait and coaching provided. No need to book, just turn up and give angling a go!
The free sessions are open to young people from all areas of Hull with a focus on the most vulnerable living in disadvantaged areas, or with disability, etc. All angling equipment, bait and accredited, DBS checked coaches.
Derek Pye, Fisheries Officer, said: As we are entirely funded from outside sources, support for organisations such as Headstart Hull is vital if we are to maintain and grow the programme.
Angling can help develop young peoples resilience and coping strategies, using the sport as a way to ‘get away’ from stresses, providing opportunities for peace, to calm anger, recharge, and even complete homework away from a busy households.
Studies by the Angling Trust and Environment Agency suggest that similar projects in poor areas show considerable success in reducing truancy and anti-social behaviour in young people, and as an absorbing activity in green spaces, our sport offers an opportunity for mental restoration and relaxation. Angling has been used by organisations such as Mind as a form of eco-therapy to manage mental distress, and by intervention projects such as Get Hooked On Fishing that work with young people with ADHD and anxiety disorders.
Councillor Peter Clark, Portfolio Holder for Learning, Skills and Safeguarding Children, said: HeadStart Hull supports local organisations to deliver projects that will support young people and their mental well-being.
The winning projects were of a very high standard. You could see that everyone had really done their homework and put a lot of time and effort into their applications – well done to all teams who participated. I am sure they will be a huge success.
For more information on the support available for children and young people visit www.howareyoufeeling.org.uk
*Beatz in Hull weekly sessions taking place at the Octagon Family Centre:
Thursday 2 August 1 – 3pm
Friday 3 August 1 – 3pm
Thursday 9 August 1 – 3pm
Friday 10 August 1 – 3pm
Thursday 16 August 1 – 3pm
Friday 17 August 1 – 3pm
Tuesday 21 August 1 – 3pm
Thursday 23 August 1 – 3pm
Thursday 30 August 1 – 3pm
Wednesday 5 September 3.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 6 September 3.30 – 5.30pm
Weekly fishing sessions:
Every Tuesday Willows Pond, Holderness Road, Hull, HU8 9AN – 10am – 1pm
Every Wednesday Oak Rd Pond, Beresford Avenue, Hull, HU6 7NG – 10am – 1pm
Every Thursday Kingfisher Pond, Common Lane, Welton, HU15 1PJ – 10am – 1pm
