ACTRESS Olivia Colman has inspired one school in County Durham by telling them it's “vital that we look after our own mental wellbeing” as part of a series of virtual assemblies recorded for Children’s Mental Health Week.
The Oscar-winning actress, 48, surprised children at Seascape Primary in Peterlee yesterday (February 7) morning by partnering with Bafta and the charity Place2Be for the events about wellbeing and emotional growth.
Within the virtual assembly, she joined famous faces including presenters Emma Willis and Lindsey Russell, Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse, and actors Kit Young and Kia Pegg, in taking part in the series.
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The assemblies focused on the theme of Growing Together through activities pupils can try in class or at home, in a bid to raise awareness of the stigma around mental health.
This star-studded line-up follows on from camera crews coming into Seascape Primary School in January to film for the pre-recorded assembly, which saw several lucky children getting the chance to chat and learn skills from Oti and Lindsey.
As part of the assembly, award-winning actress, Colman told the children: “The past few years have been challenging for everyone, so it’s vital that we look after our own mental wellbeing but also find ways to support each other.
“We’re always growing, we just may not realise it. The most difficult growth to recognise is emotional.
“For Children’s Mental Health Week 2022, we’re encouraging everyone to explore how they have grown together and to celebrate how even through difficult times, with the right support we can all continue to grow and flourish.”
Meanwhile, Oti Mabuse told the assembly: “When I struggle with day-to-day stuff or I feel a little bit overwhelmed, I know I can always talk to my mum. Sharing is important.
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“I think sharing emotions, sharing how we feel – whether that’s good, bad, sad, up, down, happy or excited – is important, we need to check in.”
For the last 15 years, Seascape Primary has been part of the Place2Be initiative, which has seen a full-time counsellor look after the mental health issues of pupils at the school.
Headteacher of the school, Emma Rowntree, has highlighted the importance of looking after the mental health of children in her care, and has expressed her excitement at being involved in a project that boasted the likes of Olivia Coleman and Oti Mabuse.
Before the pandemic, only a handful of children would see the school counsellor, but by the end of several lockdowns in the UK, this number has now risen to 30 per week needing mental health help.
She said: “We were lucky to be included in the project and to get the chance for our pupils to chat to celebrities. It’s something that they’ll remember for a long time, and the staff were equally as excited about the cameras at the school and the streaming of the assembly too.
“In my ten years at the school, we’ve been part of the Place2Be project, and it’s vital that we continue it. During the pandemic, we saw how important it was to look after our mental health, and it had a massive impact on children too.
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“Olivia Colman and Oti Mabuse are such positive role models for the children and hopefully it’s inspired them. We’re over the moon that the children could see the assembly and hopefully something similar can happen in the future for us.”
Alongside Seascape Primary, Rosslyn Park Primary in Nottingham, Carrick Academy in South Ayrshire and Folkestone Academy in Kent were involved in the Place2Be scheme.
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