Making Some Noise for Mental Health

MAKING SOME NOISE FOR MENTAL HEALTH

WHO WE ARE

We are a group that formed following the loss to suicide of Mason Clark in September 2021.

Mason was just 14 years old.

Initially the group met to talk and support each other. As conversations continued we felt our experiences needed to be shared and that lessons could be learnt. We believe something positive can come out of losing Mason.

IN MEMORY

We dedicate our work to Mason Clark and to other children and young people who have been lost to suicide, many of whom have been our friends.

Mason loved fishing, woodwork, falconry, water sports, anime, gaming and much more. He was a brilliant, generous, funny friend and his family loved him so much. He volunteered, he worked, he was told he was loved and valued daily. But Mason still took his own life.

We miss Mason every day but we’re determined to improve things for the young people in our community and across the country.

Suicide is the leading killer of teenagers, not drugs, not car accidents and not knife crime.

5,203

Suicides were registered in England in 2021

Young men are three times as likely to take their own life as their female peers.

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF ALL THIS?

Suicide is the biggest killer of under 34 year olds. We have lost too many of our young friends to suicide.

It has felt like an epidemic of tragic loss. Despite this, mental health research is still significantly less funded when compared to physical health conditions.

Our group—a response

The group is made up of Mason’s mother, Jess, who chairs, minutes and organises the meetings.

The core 5 young people, Millie, Alex, Isaac, Callum and Ben. Some attend different schools and we have a mix of genders.

All of us were Mason’s friends and just starting into a new term in year 10 when Mason was lost to suicide. We all have an equal voice in the running and activity of the group.

We fundraise in Mason’s name and are considering a range of different interventions to improve mental health wellbeing for others.

“We are attempting to show where improvements need to be made, this is not about bashing organisations. We need to come together to genuinely make a difference.”

Our goals

Make Some Noise gather feedback and experiences about young people and mental health support services.

We also try new experiences with the aim of improving our mental health and encourage a wider group of teenagers to get involved in the things life has to offer.

It is very important to us that the feedback we collect is shared using exactly the same words as were used originally.

All to often we have seen that people working with children and young people have interpreted comments, sometimes with devastating effect.

Everything we share has come directly from our group or from other young people.

NOTES FROM JESS (AUTHOR)

I initially wrote up our group’s meeting notes to give full transparency to Mason’s friends and their parents. I couldn’t cope with the weight of responsibility of our conversations. I could have the conversation, but I didn’t have any faith in myself to manage the kids’ needs well enough anymore.

I’d spent years working with children and young adults with mental health issues and had used my experience to support Mason through some really dark times. I thought I had everything covered. I thought Mason would tell me if he’d again reached the point of not wanting to live. But I was so very wrong.

The loss of Mason opened a cavern inside of me, I lost my identity and my purpose. My confidence was non existent and for months I struggled to do the most basic things. I was desperate not to lose any of Mason’s friends to suicide and I wanted them to know how important they were.

I began regularly reminding myself of Mason’s essence, asking myself what he would have wanted me to do after he gone.

Mason was my only child; he was all I had ever needed and now he is gone forever.

I really hope that our group will create a positive change in the system in Mason name.

Although I work for children’s services in Surrey County Council, the views shared in this document are not necessarily the view of my employer.

This document

This document is going to share feedback verbatim. It’s no holds barred, gloves off honest account of people’s experiences. The names of charities have been removed from the feedback as we felt the messages about experiences were clear enough without potentially deterring someone from trying to get help. And we are a small sample size of a much bigger picture. We are attempting to show where improvements need to be made. This is not about bashing particular organisations. Resources are scant, people are exhausted, and we need to come together to genuinely make a difference.

The feedback is intended for anyone with an interest in suicide prevention; those working in mental health, schools, parents, guardians and those making decisions for teenagers.

Since Mason’s death I’ve spoken to various parents in similar circumstances to my

HEADLINES

After gathering our feedback, talking through our experiences and the responses we’ve had from different organisations, we want to MAKE SOME NOISE and prioritise the following areas.

Good mental health techniques, relationships and digital awareness should be an educational priority for schools, not an add-on subject.

Suicide is the biggest killer of students but nobody is taking responsibility for educating kids on how to prepare for the world it as it is now? Prevention strategies should cut across health, education and social care services.

We’ll be lobbying for this.

Don’t be too confident that giving someone a list of crisis helpline numbers will give them the help they need.

Young people have said that they don’t know what to say if they call a helpline number. Additionally, when help is poorly administered and comes with a time limit, it makes it difficult to feel confident you’ll get the help you need. That experience becomes a future expectation and can put people off trying again.

“I can’t find the words to say what I’m calling for.”

“Bad support puts you off trying it again.”

“I phoned [a national mental health charity for all ages] and no one answered. It rung and rung and eventually a message played saying ‘stay on the line someone will answer soon’ but it kept ringing and I lost my bottle to wait and speak to someone.”

HEADLINES

Parents and carers need help identifying normal teenage behaviours vs serious mental health worries.

How many parents are questioning if their child is exaggerating a situation because they don’t want to go to school? Children are expected to accept behaviours at school that adults wouldn’t be expected to face at work (despite them being more vulnerable).

Our priority is still to get them into class, regardless of how this feels for them. Teenagers not feeling understood is a normal part of growing up. But we’re in unchartered times and teenagers’ access to an unhinged online (post pandemic) world means we can’t rely on out of date standards. A different approach is now needed.

Parents and carers need guidance to help identify when the young people in their lives are struggling and how they can support them and their education.

Children’s voices are not being heard accurately

Children are frequently led to believe that everything they say is written down and reported on. But schools, social workers, counsellors etc. usually record only part of a student’s experiences, and rarely in the child’s own words. This means professionals are often working with only part of the picture. When they’re reflecting on a child’s history and behaviour (to understand their risk level and assess the level of need) they only have limited information. Predictably, this leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding.

We’ll be petitioning for professionals to record the words of the child and parents/carers, NOT their interpretation or perception of what they meant.

“Some things do need to be shared and aren’t, it’s unclear what teachers and counsellors will tell other people.”

Parents and carers are not always hearing the problems young people are dealing with on a daily basis.

The experiences of young people now are very different from those of their parents and carers. Adults can often make well intentioned comments or gestures but the challenges young people face today are very different from those of their parents. Validating someone’s feelings can be hugely important if their self esteem and life outlooks are poor.

We need more listening to bridge the inter generational gap.

The best available mental health and suicide prevention training is not routinely delivered.

Training is being watered down, often to save time or money. It is frequently delivered online, with delegates answering emails and looking at their phones while simultaneously ‘learning’.

Training is offered by many organisations but few are underpinned with research and evidence about effectiveness. Being ‘trained’ can lead to all sorts of dangerous misconceptions.

GPs don’t routinely talk to teenagers when their parent calls with concerns about their mental health or suicidal ideation.

GP’s rarely undertake the RCADS (Revised Children’s Anxiety & Depression Scale) with children even though they’ll do similar quick questionnaires with adults. Children are therefore left with little support, lingering on waiting lists in the hope that they’ll meet a threshold for a mental health worker.

Parents and Carers are left guessing or relying on Google to find out what is wrong with their child.

We’ll be talking to medical professionals to see why this is and what can be done about it.

“Some counsellors are awkward, you don’t know them and don’t know what to say and it’s down to me to think of what to say.”

“I want to know why I am only being offered 6 sessions for counselling even after your friend dies.”

“Teachers came up to me after Mason died and asked if I was ok but after a few days they stopped asking and people just think you get on with it.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Below you’ll find some of the feedback we have collected from our first few meetings. To make it easier to read we’ve collected it under themes.

ACCESSING MENTAL HEALTH AND

“I want to talk to someone I know sometimes, but not at other times.”

work of family around him, what else could be needed?

“It’s hard to share confidentially without triggering safeguarding and causing a big issue.”

“Some counsellors are awkward, you don’t know them and don’t know what to say and it’s down to me to think of what to say.”

“I want to talk to someone I know sometimes, but not at other times.”

“I tell my parents everything, even the bad stuff.”

“I wouldn’t know what to say if I called someone.”

“I don’t like talking to family. Families can gossip between them so I keep stuff quiet. I sort things out myself.”

“[Parent] called the GP but they didn’t really help.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Accessing mental health and wellbeing support

Would an app or something via messaging work better?

“Could do, starting some chats on message is easier.”

“Worried about the consequences of talking to adults.”

“We need better options for young people to have someone to talk to – give them the option of a range of apps, message based support and counsellors or professionals?”

“This information is out there but doesn’t include waiting times / availability

– we could create an app and tell YP what’s available?”

“This is important but worried charities don’t share this information, how hard it will be to get this information and then share it with others. How to keep this information up to date?”

“We get told that everything is confidential but then kids who’ve called Childline have had an ambulance sent to their house so their parents find out. Know this sometimes needs to happen.”

“No one is specific with what has to be shared and what could be confidential so you don’t have trust talking to people.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Review and feedback on helpline website

REVIEW AND FEEDBACK ON THE HELPLINE

WEBSITE

A New Zealand based company has created a website and says you can get access to helplines anywhere in the world. You put in your country and then county to find local information. The link (widget) has been put on a charity website page. The charity was set up by a parent who lost their child to suicide.

What do you think of the helpline information?

“Didn’t understand, on the site, what the difference between volunteers and counsellors are, they are listed on the overview.”

“Widget didn’t work first time.”

“Good to see opening and closed hours information on there but would help to see when they are next open too.”

“Everything should be open 24/7.”

“Someone doesn’t want to go onto the app to find help when they’re struggling.”

“People are there to listen but I don’t know what to say when you phone them. How do you say you’re not ok and what’s wrong?”

“I can’t find the words to say what I’m calling for.”

“Need opening times and consistent information, some say suitable for Men/Women but others don’t.”

“Didn’t know what this charity is for, says ‘for everyone’ (think it means gender) but website is for sexual assault victims. Would help to have this on the front page.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Review and feedback on helpline website

What do you think of the helpline information? (cont. from previous page)

“Age criteria isn’t listed, some are adult services and some for young people but you don’t know that until you have to read loads more information.”

“This is another problem to access help because you’re too old or too young.”

“Don’t think it’s that useful, better to have one number for everything and they put you through to the right person.”

“Didn’t like online sessions.”

“Hard to talk at home about private stuff when people are around and

“People are there to listen but I don’t know what to say when you phone them. How do you say you’re not ok and what’s wrong?”

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Hardly any, came up in PSHE lesson for some but nothing for others. Hardly covered in any detail, just tells you a bit about the main points.

Medium sized suicide prevention charity] gave a talk with SLT (senior leadership team) at an assembly once but I don’t think many people listened.

lessons

every 2 weeks and only

mental health briefly.

of mental health awareness training have you had?

Training and Education

What’s the best type of training/education you’ve ever had and the worst bits?

“No best bits. “

“I kind of like PowerPoints.”

“Worst bits boring PowerPoint, needs to be interactive and not just pictures and being talked at.”

“Not too much info at once, it’s hard to remember everything.”

“Not tried any role play or seen anyone playing out characters.”

“Not used avatars to ask questions or talk about things.”

“We have Wellbeing group sessions, [youth club], think youth workers run it from the same company as our youth club. We talk about general stuff. We yell out body parts and that gets silly, we play games. It’s hard to say what you want to talk about as everyone’s messing around.”

“In the wellbeing group people talk over you and then you don’t want to say it again.”

What sort of training/learning is the best for helping you remember what you’ve learnt?

“Don’t know.”

“Avatar would only work if you’re doing it as a group. The only room we all have computers in at school is in the science room. Or only one person at a time can use them in pastoral so can’t use online stuff at school.”

“Using an Avatar to talk would work better at home but only if you have a computer and internet connection.”

“Prefer stuff I can try out, not just listen to someone.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK Information for professionals INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONALS

WORKING WITH US

We want and need a better response and understanding from professionals working with children and young people.

How can we tell professionals like mental health staff, social workers, teachers, GP’s how to better support young people?

“I want to know why I am only being offered 6 sessions for counselling even after your friend dies.”

“[Professional mental health worker] was nice but came in and went after 1 meeting, [children’s bereavement charity] came and went and got names wrong and only online sessions.”

“People stop and start conversations and there’s no follow up why always 6 sessions offered?”

“[National bereavement charity] say it’s 6 sessions but they say now I’m doing ok. They say if I need more then it’s ok but basically said you will only need a few more sessions and then I’m left again.”

“I’m not getting better it’s just easier explaining things and that is seen as you are getting better.”

“Sometimes I hide things rather than talk. I don’t always want to talk at home.”

“You get ignored after the 6 sessions, no follow up or support put in place.”

“Teachers came up to me after Mason died and asked if I was ok but after a few days they stopped asking and people just think you get on with it.”

“It doesn’t just go away but people move on.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Information for professionals

How can we tell professionals like mental health staff, social workers, teachers, GP’s how to better support young people? (cont. from previous page)

“The counsellor did say the stuff about what they can and can’t keep confidential. They asked my permission to speak to my mum and that was ok but then he spoke to her again and I hadn’t said it was ok.”

“When you do finally ask for help and then it’s bad support it puts you off trying it again.”

“Face to face work is better, you trust someone more that way.”

“Face to face is better so you don’t get bored.”

“I don’t like counselling online.”

“I didn’t like online counselling to start with but thought it was better than nothing. After a couple of sessions it was ok but it’s easier to have them online when the house is empty.”

“Adults don’t trust us to know how we feel. We feel brushed off and not

“Adults don’t trust us to know how we feel. We feel brushed off and not taken seriously. Get they are busy people but it’s not their priority. Need to keep talking.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK Information for professionals

The word “safeguarding” has come up; would it help to know what triggers a safeguarding type response?

“It could help to know more.”

“It also depends on who you talk to, some people (adults) keep things to themselves and help, others don’t.”

“I have a teacher at school who I talk to all the time and she doesn’t go and tell my mum everything so I trust her.”

“I don’t really know what they have available, to talk so someone.”

“There shouldn’t be such long waiting lists to talk to someone. I’ve been waiting ages for counselling and been told bereavement counselling waiting list is weeks.”

“Don’t like online counselling sessions.”

“Did really like [Professional mental health worker] who came to see us, she was good but only saw her once.”

“Sometimes you say things that have happened and you’re just given a list of websites to go and look at, like that’s going to help.”

“It’s hard telling people difficult stuff when you don’t know if they’re actually going to do anything or if they are then going to go over the top with what you’ve said.”

“Tell us more specifics and give examples of what would and wouldn’t trigger safeguarding.”

“No one gave examples of what would be safeguarding and what wouldn’t be confidential.”

“I haven’t been given any information about the rules around talking to people or what counsellors will or won’t do.”

“Some things do need to be shared and aren’t, it’s unclear what teachers and counsellors will tell other people.”

THEMES

Internet and digital world

INTERNET AND DIGITAL WORLD

Since Mason died we’ve found out a lot about the digital world and how things work. We feel there needs to be a better understanding and more education around these things to help us make better informed choices.

Could there be training for young people on algorithms and digital awareness, so people can spot when they’re being marketed to rather than seeing real information? What are you seeing online and what do you think would help?

“You get different responses on Google depending on if you’re male/ female – isn’t that sexist?”

“Algorithms raised.”

“Did you know if you put into Google ‘my husband hits me’, it comes up with NHS domestic abuse information but if you type in ‘my wife hits me’ it tells you to try and talk to her and say how you feel to her.”

“Completely different for a man and a woman.”

“Different results on Google depending on what you’ve searched for before.”

“You never know what’s real and what’s not.”

“We’ve just started doing digital misinformation at school. It’s been pretty boring so far.”

“Teachers need to feel interested in the subject so we will.”

“Young people and old people are just as likely to fall for fake news online, people believe what they want to and don’t fact check.”

“You never know what’s real and what’s not.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

and digital world

Something that relates to Mason’s wellbeing was his choice of music, lots of negative, sad, angry and pro-suicide music in his last weeks. If someone is repeatedly listening to negative and sad music the algorithm can pick this up and push out more similar content. What do you think should happen?

“Play a positive tune through someone’s ear or a warning about how music can affect mood and where to get help.”

“Educate counsellors/teachers/doctors on music’s influence and encourage them to ask young people about their types of musical interests and the language within the songs.”

“Instagram has changed now; you can’t look up self-harm or suicide content.”

“Agree [music streaming site] should do more.”

“When the adverts play use this time to play wellbeing and charity information.”

“Be careful not to interrupt average sad songs and only for the most negative / suicide lyrics played constantly.”

“When the adverts play use this time to play wellbeing and charity information.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Internet and digital world

Discussing content seen online...

“[Video streaming site] show videos of self harm, sometimes it’s just the marks that are shown and not actually promoting doing it.”

“Using certain hashtags e.g. #fakebody will allow getting around algorithm, rape and stuff tagged with #triggerwarning means it can be shown. There is also sexual abuse stuff on there to advise young people. It’s not always a bad thing, sometimes helpful.”

“People use #TWSH = trigger warning self-harm.”

“[Video streaming site] algorithm seems very good and very strict.”

“[Other video streaming site] shows someone taking apart a sharpener to get blade out.”

“[Movie streaming site] has good trigger warnings when the series or film is about to start won’t cover everything but some of the main things. This is helpful.”

“Friend sent an image of self-harm, cutting and I shared with a friend. The friend’s mum, phoned my mum and my mum phoned the girl’s mum. My mum didn’t want me to be friends with her anymore because

“People use #TWSH = trigger warning self-harm.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK Internet and digital world

Concerns about the media reporting of Mason’s death and other local deaths...

“I don’t want our letters [from Mason] to come out in the public before we’ve even seen them.”

“No one has officially told us how Mason died but we’ve had messages from people and people talk.”

“There were rumours going around about how he died.”

“I was advised by professionals from social services, mental health services and a charity that I shouldn’t discuss the way Mason died as it can cause people to copy it.”

“It’s going to be written about online after the inquest so why wouldn’t we be spoken to?”

“The way people take their lives is reported in the media so why wouldn’t people talk to us about it first?”

“I don’t want our letters [from Mason] to come out in the public before we’ve even seen them.”

“The way people take their lives is reported in the media so why wouldn’t people talk to us about it first?”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Support we’d like put in place

SUPPORT WE’D LIKE PUT IN PLACE

Perhaps the most important part of our work has been looking at the support we believe would help young people manage their mental health better.

What do you think about with mental health training for people your age, teaching staff and families?

“Teachers need more training and families do.”

“Don’t want all the pressure put on young people to do the support but some young people would be ok with this where some wouldn’t.”

“Could train a student in every class at [local secondary schools discussed].”

“People could have a Mental Health champion badge so people know who they can talk to.”

“Not sure I’d want to always have to talk to the person in my tutor, what if you don’t like them? You need to be able to talk to different types of people.”

“Important students and teachers are trained.”

“There’s lots of meeting rooms at school that can be used, not sure about the other schools.”

“Should make mental health training mandatory for all education staff.”

“This is the most important area our group should start with.”

“School say they care they say ‘are you ok’ but it feels like they are going through the motions and not really caring. They check in for 2 days and then stop asking.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Identifiable Mental Health Champions

(People who are trained and open, who are in the places young people are and can be easily identified.)

“We’ve discussed this at school and the teachers don’t think we should be the ones helping others.”

“We’d have this in schools first, also with health people and then extend to public places.”

“We have tried to tell them people are more likely to talk to people their own age or a bit older but they don’t think we should be doing this as it will be bad for our mental health and they think we could be at risk of what happened to Mason.”

“Discussed this could be a risk for some people and that training needs to be strong on how to talk to people and how to get help, not to hold the weight of someone else’s health.”

we’d like put in place

“At school the only option now is to go to tutor room, which is a classroom and at the moment there’s no helpline info on walls etc.”

“Rooms to be a chill out area, safe space with extra information and someone to talk to if wanted.”

Support we’d like put in place

Wellbeing chill out rooms at schools

“We’ve asked at school and every time we bring this up they say it has to be supervised and there’s not enough staff to cover it or not enough space.”

“We think older year groups could supervise younger ones but schools are too worried about this. Teachers think people are just trying to get out of lessons. Even in break times it would help if there was this sort of room and not in class time.”

“Could we bring something onsite like a minibus/coach or have volunteers in to staff the rooms with young people?”

“The cost of full time staff could be up to £40,000 per year with tax etc so it is a big cost.”

“Like a common room. Something with better lighting and comfy seating.”

“Make it so that students have to talk to pastoral support first to access the room, they don’t have to tell the teacher everything but will mean it’s not abused.”

“At school the only option now is to go to tutor room, which is a classroom and at the moment there’s no helpline info on walls etc.”

“Rooms to be a chill out area, safe space with extra information and someone to talk to if wanted.”

“Unsure what is at [College] or [school] but haven’t seen any helpline information.”

“When I’m stressed, I want to go somewhere, the further away from people the better,”

“No point having wellbeing sofas somewhere there’s lots of people around.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK Support we’d like put in place

Student forum or student voice group at school so students can share wellbeing related issues. An outlet for communicating as a student community with the teaching staff about what is really going on for students

“Could be a group of students who know where to access information and show students It could raise that more counselling is needed.”

“There are already a few counsellors that come into school.”

“I’m unsure what’s available at my school as in counselling or people to talk to.”

“There is something at college but unsure what.”

“It’s possible it could work, a quiet room is needed but some kids may abuse this.”

“We have loads of rooms at school that aren’t used.”

“We were given a space to use but then other people come up and sit there and you have to get them to move or another teacher kicks you out as they don’t know you can be there.”

“Feel the student forum is as important as an allocated wellbeing room but it will take a long time to organise it and I don’t feel school will carry it on if we don’t have students like us pushing it.”

“Older students to be responsible for recruiting and training younger students so it continues when people leave the school it carries on.”

“I went to my school student voice group but it’s run by teachers and I felt awkward there and like I couldn’t say what I want.”

“School doesn’t think we should run things, thinks it should be done by a teacher.”

“We are young and have had the experience so why shouldn’t we be involved. We could be a mentor for younger kids but need to persuade teachers and adults to listen to us.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Support we’d like put in place

Places teenagers can go and learn skills and lead to work experience or work

“Would like to do fishing and building skills, painting, architecture, art, digital drawing and other things.”

“Not many people know about the course I do at college, level 1 in construction skills and some maths and English, which is better for some people than school.”

“Would be good to offer taster session and a longer course so people can try things out and also get into things longer term.”

“Not all families can afford to pay for things like that, we wouldn’t have the money.”

“Getting to places is hard if there’s no bus or the bus is expensive.”

“Need to make sure there’s subsidies and help to pay for access to clubs and sometimes for travel to get to them.”

“Mechanics and carpentry skills workshops would be good.”

“Mechanics and carpentry skills workshops would be good.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Part time jobs for young people – it’s hard for anyone under 16 to work and it’s illegal for anyone under 13 years old to work.

“This is also just as important as the training.

“Not all young people will work for £4 per hour when they can earn money in other ways.

“Not all young people can earn money in other ways so may interest some.

“I need to earn more money.

“I’m doing a paper round, it’s 7 days a week for £25 and it’s hard to get

all young people will work for £4 per hour when they can earn money in other ways.”

THEMES & FEEDBACK

Support we’d like put in place

Going to the gym, exercise, boxing – we know exercise is good for mental health

“The boxing club would be good but it can be full of hard people so can be off putting.”

“Could offer intro sessions into different things.”

“Can be embarrassing doing it outside or if people come up to you.”

“Could be good at home.”

“Boxing is a stress reliever but don’t like the initial exercise.”

“Trainers should break them in gently not run for an hour and then get into the training.”

“50/50 on priority of this one being as high as the access to vocational courses.”

“Walking is a good stress reliever.”

“Walking and running are relaxing but I don’t do it very often.”

“Bike riding helps.”

“Walking is a good stress reliever.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

The plan is to keep talking, keep researching and to Make Some Noise in the system with our findings.

Fundraising for Mason’s Mental Health Legacy will continue as we have grand plans to make a difference.

A local and national issue

We’ve experienced a higher than normal number of suicides in the area we live in, but sadly this doesn’t seem to just be a local problem. By attending the children’s inquests, reaching out to their families and talking to the professionals working with children, we hope to identify clear improvement areas. We’ll then lobby central government to appropriately fund this public health priority.

Research and training

We’ll be commissioning the best available suicide prevention training on the market. We’ll make this training available to teachers, GPs, youth workers and other people in children’s lives.

We’ll seek out further research on how to safely upskill students with mental health first aid training so that they can feel better able to support their friends and peers.

Listening to young people

We’ll also keep promoting the need to really listen to our young people and hear what they are, and aren’t saying. We’ll promote student forums and public sector customer research. We’ll strive for children to have a voice in the systems that are designed to support them.

After losing someone to suicide

Our next series of meetings will be gathering feedback on what has helped us to process sudden loss by suicide.

We all had different types of relationships with Mason and different things have helped us. We’ve had to learn what works for us as individuals. By sharing our journeys, we hope to help others and the core components for good mental health.

Funding the future

Mental Health research is severely underfunded despite suicide being the biggest killer of large groups of our society and mental health issues on the rise. We’ll keep looking for strong research organisations to share our stories with and we’ll take part in medical research studies, whilst also identifying which organisations to donate funds to.

To find out more about our group or to donate to our work, please scan the QR Code below or visit: Fundraiser by Jessica Clark : Mason's Mental Health Legacy (gofundme.com)

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and

future for young

Make Some Noise about mental health.