18% of children in England are struggling with their mental health, according to 2022 NHS Digital data – that’s around 5 children in every school class. A grant from The Pixel Fund is helping Blue Smile deliver 1-1 arts-based therapy for children in Cambridgeshire primary schools, providing prompt, specialist help to those who need it most.
Blue Smile therapy teams spend one day a week in each Partner School we support, working closely with school staff to identify children most in need and intervene early, before problems escalate. We work with a child for as long as needed, using proven arts-based therapies to help them come to terms with difficult feelings or experiences. Our therapists also advise parents and teachers to help them better understand and meet the child’s needs, and promote understanding of mental health across the school community through assemblies and group work.
Parents and teachers tell us that pressures on children’s mental health are greater than ever, but funding from The Pixel Fund will help us provide vital, accessible support to children aged 3-13 in Cambridgeshire.
“I have brightness in me again and I feel happiness. I feel that I can take on any learning challenge. I never used to feel that” – child supported by Blue Smile.