Killicomaine JSH well-being ambassadors promoting good mental health

With an aim of improving the mental health of everyone in the school, a group of interested pupils came together and formed a group of well-being ambassadors.

The initiative is pupil led to promote well-being across the school and have student voice involved.

The well-being ambassadorsattended Craigavon Civic Centre in November 2017 for a mental health event across all schools in the Craigavon Area Learning Community. This event helped the pupils to develop ideas for promoting good mental health for all pupils.

While the pupils work alongside Vice Principal Mrs Murphy, they plan and organise the events themselves.

The well-being ambassadors have organised workshops and competitions on themes such as anti-bullying, anti-racism and RAOK (random acts of kindness).They have also organised year group events.

Year 10 focused on improving exam performance and GCSE options and brought in external organisation Amazing Brains to facilitate this.

Teresa Burke was invited to speak to Year 9 about the impact of drugs on her family and the subsequent loss of her son to drug misuse.

In April the well-being ambassadors returned to give a presentation all the schools across Craigavon Area Learning Community of the work they had done.

The initiative proved so successful that the students have continued with the project this year. The group have developed themes for each month and they are already planning events for March 2019 which they have named ‘Mental health March’.

You can download the Kilicomaine Junior High School student voice publication below.

30 November 2018