NCS teenagers' royal appointment for Mental Health Day 2023
To mark Mental Health Day 2023 50 young people from NCS (National Citizen Service) joined the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as famous faces from BBC Radio 1 at a themed event in Birmingham.
‘Exploring our Emotional Worlds’, run in partnership with The Mix, a digital charity for under 25s, brought together around 100 young people to discuss the specific mental health challenges their generation faces, explore what more they could do to understand and manage their emotions and discuss the solutions that could support them to better look after their own and each other’s mental wellbeing.
It comes after a survey commissioned by the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Royal Foundation found almost all young people questioned thought their peers were having issues with their mental health.
The survey, released today, found nearly 40% of 16- to 24-year-olds questioned felt they were not managing their emotions very well, while 95% of the group said they thought their peers were having some sort of problem with their mental health.
Almost six in ten (59%) of the 16 to 24-year-olds questioned thought it was very important for young people to have greater awareness and understanding of social and emotional skills, while 39% felt they did not manage their emotions very well.
The online poll found almost two-thirds (65%) of the 1,817 young people quizzed said their mental health was very important to them.
Half of the attendees were nominated by NCS, who offer a range of experiences for young people that support them to become world ready and work ready. Over the past decade, more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience, dedicating over 18 million hours to community based social action, while gaining invaluable life experiences.
Fatma, 20, from Cheadle Hulme, shared her experience at the event, saying: “I was able to speak to HRH Prince William, Prince of Wales and I was able to share my experiences as a young person with mental health in a professional setting.
“I heard from Dr. Alex George and Professor Marc Brackett, in which some really insightful panels and discussions were held and some useful toolkits that I will be taking away with me.”
Lamin Tarawally, Co-Chair of the NCS Trust Youth Voice Forum, added: “Each year World Mental Health Day becomes increasingly important. As a community we have a duty to listen to young people to learn more about their social and emotional well-being. It's been incredibly encouraging to attend the Royal Foundation's event which has provided a forum for young people to discuss mental health challenges.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales set out their vision for a community which has better awareness of young people's mental health. Convening, listening and learning from young people is a massive step in the right direction.”
Mark Gifford, CEO of NCS Trust, commented: “When the Royal Foundation asked if NCS would invite young people to attend the Mental Health Day event, I knew we’d have a big response. Mental health and wellbeing is of utmost importance to today’s young people, as shown in the survey commissioned by the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Royal Foundation.”
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For more information, please contact:
NCS press office – email media@ncstrust.org.uk or call 020 3920 8576.
About NCS (National Citizen Service)
NCS offers a range of experiences for young people that support them to become world ready and work ready — through growing their confidence, independence and skills; connecting them with people from all walks of life; and empowering them to make a difference in their communities and wider society.
Over the past decade, more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience, dedicating over 18 million hours to community based social action, while gaining invaluable life experiences.
NCS is managed and supported by NCS Trust, our central team who are constantly working to make sure that NCS delivers impactful experiences to as many young people as possible. NCS is funded by the UK Government through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as a core part of the National Youth Guarantee.
