Longhill Supporting ‘I Am Whole’ Campaign in Brighton & Hove
Growing up can be a positive time for many. However, there are hundreds of thousands of young people across England and Wales for whom the experience is very different.
The #IAMWHOLE campaign aims to combat mental health stigma and seeks to offer a platform for young people to tell their stories and be heard, without prejudice or stigma, not to be judged.
The campaign, which is a partnership between the YMCA and the NHS, is fronted by some very high profile celebrities; these include Brighton’s own Jordan Stephens (Rizzle Kicks), singer Ed Sheeran, international chat show host James Cordon and presenter Dermot O’Leary.
Longhill students attended a City-wide mental health awareness event at the Amex Stadium last year, at which the participants were asked to work on anti-stigma projects. Longhill students were so impressed by the aims of the campaign that they wanted to really get involved in a practical way.
Staff member Ms Donna Rhodes, who is King House Co-ordinator, had the idea of making Longhill’s own ‘I Am Whole’ video. She enlisted the help of former students Josh White and Saffron Barker – who is now something of a star on YouTube – as well as current students Aston Scott, Saffron Brown, Ellie Cooper, Kaia Allen-Bevan and Archie Redgrave in the video project.
The high-impact Longhill video was shown to the whole school in a series of assemblies and was extremely well-received by students and staff alike. Ms Rhodes told us, “I’m so proud of all the students who took part in the video and I’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Saffron and Josh for making it such a success.”
Please watch our video by clicking on the link I AM WHOLE VIDEO
For further information on the #IAmWhole campaign, you can visit their website at I AM WHOLE CAMPAIGN
