Schoolchildren in Berkshire and Oxfordshire receive mental health backpacks

Children at the school are given backpacks filled with items to support their mental health.

More than 1,000 students aged 10 to 12 will take part in the Resilience Rucksack Project, led by the University of Reading.

Comic books, playing cards, magazines, etc. are some of the health tools you can carry in your bag.

The rucksacks will be distributed at eight school fairs in Reading, Wokingham, Abingdon and Newbury.

Approximately 1,200 sixth and seventh grade students will participate to learn more about the science behind psychological resilience and choose the types of tools they would like to incorporate and try.

Professor Stella Chan, from the University of Reading, who is leading the project, said: “The transition from primary to secondary school can be a very challenging time for young people’s mental health.

“By engaging directly with students in this innovative and creative way, we hope to provide them with fun, evidence-based tools that support resilience throughout their school years and throughout their lives. Masu.”

For over two years, the University of Reading has been working with young people, teachers, parents and mental health professionals to develop wellbeing products.

We want to promote healthy sleep, physical activity, self-compassion, and the importance of friendship in children.

Professor Chan said: “The key focus was to go beyond just looking at the research, to really listen to the young people’s own lived experiences through co-production.

“We would like to express our huge gratitude to the schools, students, parents and other partners who have worked so hard on this project.

“By working together in this way, we hope to have a real positive impact on the mental health of young people in our local communities.”

This £100,000 initiative has been made possible through fundraising and support from our partners.