Within our modern society, the stresses of everyday life are slowly growing bigger and bigger causing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, loneliness and eating disorders to hold more prevalence than ever before. Our rapidly changing social climate can be difficult to navigate for even the most emotionally resilient among us but wouldn’t it have been amazing if as children we were given all the tools and skills that we need to look after our mental health, just as we were taught how to look after our physical health?

This is why Mind Mechanics decided to focus on mental health education, including teaching sustainable coping mechanisms in order to offer out the tools that teachers and children need to battle this escalating crisis.

Mind mechanics provide research-based workshops are targeted for schools, educating young children on mental health and how to manage emotions as they step towards adulthood. As it stands suicide is the biggest killer of children and young people in the UK by providing coping mechanisms and protection against poor mental health before it’s too late!

New World has been working with Mind Mechanics to raise money to fund these invaluable workshops within local schools to our Liverpool and Bristol restaurants. We spoke to the amazing Rita and Sarah, the wonderful women behind the idea to find out more about it.

What is Mind Mechanics?

Mind Mechanics is a sustainable, evidence-based, integrated mental health education programme developed through collaboration between specialist teachers, psychologists and counsellors.

We are a mental health teaching and learning project designed to prevent the tragedy of children and young people taking their own lives as they are simply unable to self-manage the huge emotions that they feel. We deliver 1 – 2 hour workshops to groups of children or young adults at school aged 7-18.  The six workshops are designed to facilitate better understanding and self-regulation of emotions, as well as teach strategies to better manage or protect against existing poor mental health.

What comes from the work you do?

 Mind Mechanics teaches children about their emotions, helps them to manage these emotions enabling them to develop resilience and build confidence.

Why are the partnerships you have with businesses like New World so important?

 As schools’ budgets and Children’s Mental Health services within the NHS have been dramatically cut and continue to be so, schools are struggling to fund teachers and basic resources so cannot pay for a Mind Mechanics Programme.  Every school we have met with to discuss our Mind Mechanics Programme desperately want to implement the programme within their schools but simply cannot afford the cost for the workshop.  For this reason, our partnership with New World Trading Company has been a lifeline for schools as the money they raise goes towards funding these workshops.

What are you most looking forward to with Mind Mechanics in 2019?

 WOW, that’s a big question….. in terms of our work with New World, we want to continue our partnership as being their local charity, helping local children, improving community relationships and potentially saving lives. As a company, our wish for 2019 and beyond is to have Mind Mechanics Programmes in all schools nationally.

For more information on mind mechanics please click here.