Spotlight on SOCIAL ACTION
Putting the spotlight on Social Action Projects
Dame Kelly Holmes Trust’s schools based programmes, On Track to Achieve and AQA Unlocking Potential, are designed to boost wellbeing, increase confidence, strengthen resilience and build self-esteem so individuals can fulfil their true potential. Over the course of the 2024/25 academic year, students across the country have been working hard with their Athlete Mentors to identify, plan and execute a Social Action Project which is close to their hearts and benefits those around them.
This summer we will be celebrating the achievements of the young people on our programmes, spotlighting the social action projects they have successfully delivered.
A focus on mental health and loneliness
In this article, the first of our series of Social Action Project Spotlight features, we head to AQA Unlocking Potential groups in Coventry and Stoke-on-Trent where students at Nicholas Chamberlaine School identified and chose to raise awareness around one of the biggest issues facing young people today: mental health; while the group at Sir Thomas Boughey focused their project on loneliness amongst older people.
Young people at Nicholas Chamberlaine have been working with athlete mentor Anna Turney, a former Paralympic monoskier. Over the course of their programme the theme of their social action project centred around mental health, particularly that in younger students in the school.
Speaking about the project, Anna said: “My group wanted to work with Year 7 students who have behavioural issues or low attendance to help improve mental health and raise awareness of the student voice. They want to help, offer guidance and ways to improve mental health but also to feedback to the school about whether it can help shape future policy.”
The idea the young people developed was to deliver a series of different sporting activities plus a mental health workshop to the year 7’s. These included blind football, cheerleading and slime making. The group plan to share feedback with their school and offer ideas for shaping future policy around mental health.
Nicholas Chamberlaine School students taking part in their social action project
Sir Thomas Boughey school in Stoke-on-Trent tackled another big issue: loneliness amongst elderly people. Supported by their athlete mentor, former England and Netball Superleague player, Gabby Marshall they wanted to do something which would benefit elderly people within their local community.
They decided to work with a local care home, Wilbraham House in Audley and produced an afternoon of different activities which saw the young people interacting with the residents at the home. The students made a buffet lunch for the residents, organised a game of bingo and got members of the school band to perform!
Speaking about the project and the day itself, Gabby said: “The students did an amazing job, developing their communication and teamwork skills to deliver a fantastic social action project. Their aim was to help alleviate loneliness among the elderly, and they successfully brought together their school community and members of a local care home for the afternoon, organising and catering a tea party with live music and bingo. We had fantastic feedback from the care home and I’m so proud of the students for their progress over the year! Well done team!”
Sir Thomas Boughey hosting local care home, Wilbraham House
Our athlete mentors pass on their experiences and knowledge from the world of sport and help young people apply it to their own lives. Delivered over 8 three-hour sessions in school our athlete mentors equip young people with a winning mindset. The programme is motivating and aspirational and helps young people build healthy relationships in school and with the wider community and understand the importance of physical and mental wellness. If you want to find out more about our education programmes and how your school can benefit, please click here.