King’s supports south London school to launch mental health space
King’s College London have supported Newlands Academy to set up a Be Well Hub, a space designed to improve mental wellbeing.
Since the South London Listens Assembly in October 2022, King’s Social Mobility & Widening Participation department have been working with Newlands Academy, a school in south London, to set up their Be Well Hub. This is part of a wider King’s partnership with South London Listens (SLL) and Citizens UK to help set up and support Be Well Hubs across local schools in Southwark and Lambeth. The hubs aim to destigmatise mental ill-health by offering support and providing a place where people can speak about their mental health.
During Children’s Mental Health Week and in partnership with Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity that works with pupils, families and staff in UK schools, Newlands Academy held an event to celebrate the official opening of their Be Well Hub. At the event, attendees including staff, students, families and the local community were introduced to information and resources they could access through the hub to support their mental health.
As well as providing a space dedicated to improving mental health, the hub will also have an education strand where students can learn about inclusive practices. The hub’s education strand aims to encourage pupils to respect those around them and to create a safe environment for everyone at their school.
We are delighted to be part of this project and have our very own Hub here at Newlands. By simply providing a space to talk for students, staff, parents and carers we have already seen new connections organically forming. This is paving the way to creating something very meaningful for our school community as a whole.– Sarah Cowdrey, Therapy Team Manager and Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist & Clinical Supervisor, who is leading the Be Well Hub at Newlands Academy
Michael Bennett, Associate Director of Widening Participation at King’s said: “In King’s Social Mobility & Widening Participation department our mission is to make access to university more equal, and a key part of this is by addressing barriers students face to achieve their goals. We do loads to prepare more students to apply for and get into university, and to succeed with us while they are here. We are doing dedicated work to help them improve their grades and power. But education doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Teachers, learners and their families have told us that mental health is vital in getting on at school and being able to flourish.
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