As a mother of two teens and one tween, I am painfully aware of the mental health crisis facing young people - post-Covid, yes, but also because of the unprecedented pressure of social media.
Our children are growing up in a world we never had to navigate. They can never fully switch off. Even in their bedrooms, they can be exposed to harm, comparison, cruelty and hate.
So I was honoured as part of Mental Health Awareness Week to be asked to speak on a fashion panel with three brilliant women
@gemmarosebreger @chayaoflondon @netta.___ to help raise awareness of the incredible work of
@theolileightrust , followed, by a screening of The Devil Wears Prada.
The Trust was set up by Oli’s family and friends after he took his own life in 2018, aged just 16. Since then, they have turned unimaginable grief into life-saving action.
That’s why the work the Oli Leigh Trust does in schools matters so much. They provide suicide-prevention and mental-health awareness training for pupils, teachers, school staff and parents - helping them recognise warning signs, know how to offer support, and understand where to get the right help.
They also work directly with teenagers, helping them understand their own emotional health, spot when a friend may be struggling, and know what to do if someone is having suicidal thoughts.
The Oli Leigh Trust says its training has now reached over 860 schools across the UK. It is about giving the people around our children - teachers, parents, friends -the confidence to notice, to ask, and to know what to do next.
Inspired by the work they do and very grateful to have been part of this incredible event.
