PUPILS from Blessed Trinity College in North Belfast have helped reimagine an important mental health message to others using eye-catching characters.
Working alongside local mental health charity TAMHI and and Ulster University, the project focused on improving the way the important Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing message is communicated to young people.
Take 5 is five simple steps to help maintain and improve a person's wellbeing: Connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give.
The project is built around lived experience and real voices, which makes its launch particularly relevant ahead of World Mental Health Day on Saturday, October 10.
Joe Donnelly from TAMHI explained: "Pupils from Year 8 and Year 14 at Blessed Trinity College have been working around the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing message and how it is communicated to young people.
"Their message was simple: Take 5 is important but the traditional way of presenting it wasn't connecting with them.
"Young people felt some of the existing imagery around mental health and wellbeing could appear too medical, formal and removed from their everyday lives.
"So rather than adults deciding what young people should engage with, we asked young people themselves.
"The pupils came up with animated characters and the challenge was how to bring the Take 5 to life and to bring substance when it comes to engaging with young people.
"The characters aren't intended simply as mascots. They will become young people's champions for mental health and emotional wellbeing, appearing in school resources, activities, campaigns and animations to help turn Take 5 from something young people are told about into something they can recognise, understand and use.
"It is important to champion mental health from a young age. The Take 5 initiative is all about positive mental health and wellbeing and this work by pupils at Blessed Trinity College will allow us to expand on that message."
Chris Quinn, NI Commissioner for Children and Young People, who attended the launch praised the initiative from the pupils.
"This is a brilliant programme. Mental health is a big issue and we know that peer-led approach really works," he said.
"The young people have developed these characters and have brought the Take 5 campaign to another level.
"It is great to see Blessed Trinity College take a lead on this.
"I believe initiatives like this need to start in primary school. We need to be teaching young people about coping skills and reduce the stigma. It is important to be able to talk about mental health.
"Ahead of World Mental Health Day on Saturday, I would encourage young people to pause and reflect on what mental health means for them and what you can do yourself."
