#BeeWell campaign
Posted on: March 14th 2022School News
Three MGS year 10 pupils have taken part in the Greater Manchester's #BeeWell initiative - a wellbeing and mental health programme for secondary schools.
Joss, Ashmit and Tahmeed all participated in The Young Researchers Programme which introduced them to academic research with a focus on wellbeing. The pupils helped to facilitate weekly discussions about how to improve their mental health, and were able to get hands on with the #BeeWell data analysis, by interpreting the data and helping to shape future research carried out by a team at the University of Manchester.
Their hard work culminated in a fantastic day of media training on Saturday in Manchester, in partnership with Youth Focus North West. The pupils were joined by BBC reporters and experts on media engagement, to give tips and guidance on how to speak with the media about the #BeeWell findings, ahead of the opportunity to take part in some filming about their findings from the data. One of the guests was De-Graft Mensah, BBC Newsround & Radio 1Extra Reporter, who gave encouraging advice about speaking to camera.
Year 10 pupil Ashmit described his experiences of working with data, saying: "Before participating in the BeeWell initiative, I was hesitant, as I had never taken part in anything like this before. However, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to try something new. I found the experience really engaging and I learnt many new skills, such as analysing data and using it to come to conclusions about the data. It was also very interesting to view some of the findings of the BeeWell survey, which was conducted last year across schools in Greater Manchester".
The #BeeWell team received more than 5,000 responses from young people across Greater Manchester, and it was fantastic to see our pupils represent the school as part of this project.
Year 10 pupil Joss spoke about his experiences: “During the #BeeWell initiative, I spearheaded discussions about what may positively and negatively affect mental health for those who live in isolated areas or more rural communities. I also stressed the importance of having animals around a person (as, even when my cat fusses and sits on the keyboard, I can testify!).
He added: “I was keen from the get-go about the media training and filming with the BBC, as I think that much of it can be extended to not just journalism, but life itself: don't overthink, put your personality across, keep calm and carry on. Of course, any opportunity for me to be stood in front of a camera, or have an inflated sense of my own ego, is one I will always enjoy, but I will definitely take away things from both the course and the training that I won't be forgetting any time soon.
Joss is keen to continue to develop his experiences, saying: “Personally, journalism is something that has always interested me, just from the perspective of seeing the bigger picture and expressing opinion, but then zooming further into specific events and cross-referencing them with others. The ability to put myself across is something I'll always cherish, and I think that journalism and public speaking embody that, as well as the opportunity to learn. I would love to go further in journalism, especially from the point of view of being able to investigate and analyse events, while being myself”.
Year 10 pupil Tahmeed was slightly apprehensive of the process at first, and describes his journey. He said: “When I first heard about #BeeWell, I was slightly hesitant whether I would like to join. I had always been interested in partaking in surveys and data analysis, so I decided that it was the opportunity that I had been waiting for, just maybe not the one I had expected! I completed four online sessions with #BeeWell as of now, and I have loved each and every one. I have been able to meet new people, express my thoughts and views, and learn exciting things along the way”.
He described the structure of the sessions, saying: “We outlined a topic that we would cover during the session. For example, in our most recent session, we looked at inference and appraisal of data. In each session, we would go into breakout rooms, and express our views on how we could improve or change certain parts of the survey. This was interesting, as it was great to hear the thoughts of other people. By collaborating our ideas, we were able to make significant changes, and provide insights to Team #BeeWell on how to further enhance the surveys we complete”.
Speaking about his future, he commented: “I have always been interested in journalism and #BeeWell has further sparked my interest in pursuing this career. I would like to be deeply involved and represent and express the values of people and any concerns they may have. As a British-Bangladeshi, I feel our values are under-represented in the world of journalism and that I would like to contribute my thoughts on topics I am passionate about. Inclusivity is important as everyone has the right to express their belief but also be seen and heard by the world. It would be in my best interests to do more work with #BeeWell in the future and bring more inclusiveness to this area”.
Well done to all three year 10 pupils for being part of such an influential campaign across Greater Manchester!
