NottAlone Live event at YMCA, Newark, sheds light on mental health support and strategies for young people

A fun-filled event has helped shed light on mental health support available to young people.

NottAlone Live, now in its third year, was once again held at Newark’s YMCA Community and Activity Village — with more than 700 pupils from primary and secondary schools across the county in attendance over the two days.

The event, founded by Dr Orlaith Green and Dr Maddi Popoola, bring to life the NottAlone website, a resource which helps young people and those caring for them access relevant mental health support services.

Orlaith said: “We’re really happy to have two days at the YMCA this year.

“The theme for children’s mental health this year is ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’, and we’ve got an even wider range of activities and even more services here for pupils to get involved with. It’s bigger and better than ever.”

Maddi added: “The idea is that they go back to school and share some of the resources they get, and spread awareness. They love the workshops — we’ve done them on resilience, managing fall-outs, and worries.”

Other sessions included rap, Clip ‘n Climb, and dance, and there were also a range of performances from Nottinghamshire groups, including Care to Dance, which helps children in care express themselves through movement, and the Barnby Road Academy choir.

Barnby Road pupils were among those who attended on the primary schools’ day, Tuesday, February 4, which was for those in years five and six.

Pupil Erin Haarhoff said: “I went to the managing fall-outs workshop and I felt good about it because I’ve been struggling with with fall-outs with my sister, and know I have learnt how to just know when to walk away and let it go.”

Fellow pupil Hollie Cox added: “I’ve been looking at the different mental health stalls, and the different activities.

“I’ve learnt that you can express yourself by doing different things like street dance and singing.”

Also among the performers was Nottinghamshire poet Ben MacPherson, who delivered a specially-created NottAlone Live poem at the event.

He suggested many young people felt pressure and anxiety to conform to a “grid or pattern” of personality and behaviour, and that that anxiety could lead them into further mental health struggles.

“Having space to process that — which for me is spoken word — is so vital,” Ben added.

“It’s an utter privilege to be part of that… it’s why NottAlone Live is so important.”

Away from the stage, nearly 30 mental health service providers and other support groups had set up stalls to engage with youngster and show them what help was available — as well as encouraging them to take part in positive activities.

The city and county mental health support teams, which offer early intervention in schools, were on hand — with the city team offering face glitter in exchange for attendees saying something positive about themselves and encouraging them to write about people who support them and things they like about themselves on the ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’ tree.

“It’s putting a face to the service — we’re not scary,” Joanna Lake, of the county’s Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS mental health support team, said.

There were also stalls by Newark-based services the Children’s Bereavement Centre, which provides support to young people after the death or terminal illness of someone close to them, and CASY (Counselling and Support for Young People), which provides subsidised counselling for young people both in schools and in the community.

While primarily marketed towards schools, the NottAlone Live events are also open to those being home-schooled, educated at hospital, or in other non-traditional education.

Maddi added: “We really want them to sign up for next year, we don’t want to miss anybody.”