Children and young people are taking the lead in shaping healthier, more inclusive school communities, as this year’s e-wellbeing Mental Health Champions Celebration welcomed a record number of attendees.
Held at Ralli Hall in Hove, the event marked seven years of our e-wellbeing Mental Health Champions programme, delivered in partnership with Brighton & Hove Public Health Schools. At its heart is a simple but powerful idea: when young people are trusted, supported and heard, they can drive meaningful change in their own environments.
e-wellbeing Youth Ambassadors and staff partner with schools and colleges to co-design and deliver peer-led workshops that promote wellbeing across whole school communities.
In 2025/26 students were encouraged to take the lead in creating a tangible, lasting change within their school or college. This year the programme also welcomed its largest-ever cohort of primary schools, which made up half of the participating settings. In total, 110 students and 20 staff across 10 took part, with seven schools represented at the celebration – filling the main hall to capacity.
How the programme works
Each school or college recruits around 10-12 Champions to lead the workshops. Running from November 2025 to May 2026, the programme combines peer-led activities with practical, psychoeducational content that builds understanding of mental health and wellbeing:
- Primary schools: fortnightly 45-minute sessions
- Secondary schools/colleges: flexible 1.5-hour sessions (fortnightly or monthly)
Supported by e-wellbeing facilitators and a dedicated school lead (such as a SENCO, Wellbeing Mentor or Welfare Manager), the Champions design and deliver their own initiatives.
Youth-led ideas in action:
This year’s Champions developed and influenced a wide range of initiatives, including:
- Piloting a five-minute ‘brain break’ between double lessons, with plans to expand across year groups
- Designing a new outdoor wellbeing space, transforming an unused wild area into a space for exercise, gardening and reading
- Partnering with PTAs to fundraise for new playground equipment
- Introducing new calm spaces and wellbeing clubs within school
- Recommending improvements to Google Classroom, making it easier to request extensions and track deadlines.
These examples show how young people, when given the opportunity, can identify challenges and co-create practical, sustainable solutions.
Each year concludes with a celebration event that brings participants together to share learning, reflect on impact and connect with peers.
Celebrating connection and belonging
This year, Champions worked in school groups (around 10 students and two teachers for each school) to explore what helps young people feel a sense of belonging at school. They took part in activities such as free doodling as a warm-up, wellbeing exercises and creating personalised self-care kits including coping toys, affirmations and comforting items.
Students engaged enthusiastically and the much-loved annual scavenger hunt (featuring hidden capybaras across the venue) added a sense of fun and connection between sessions. Participants also had the opportunity to learn more about becoming e-wellbeing Youth Ambassadors – further extending youth leadership opportunities.
Voices of impact
Feedback from students and staff highlights the programme’s impact on confidence, agency and long-term change:
It’s honestly such an amazing experience and I’m so grateful that I could be a part of it.
Secondary school participant
Claire Roman, SENCO at Brackenbury Primary School (now in its third year of participation), reflected on the longer-term benefits:
It’s a fantastic opportunity for children to work together, identify challenges in the school (…) and take those ideas to senior leaders. It gives them a real sense of legacy for when they leave.
One student echoed this:
“What I most enjoyed is knowing we’re helping people with our ideas – and that it will still make an impact even after we leave”.
Participants also reported growing confidence in using their voice:
“I definitely liked voicing my opinion about mental health, listening to others and just releasing the stigma around talking about it.”
And, in true programme spirit, appreciation for trusted adults remained key:
“We’d love more sessions to achieve even more – but one thing we wouldn’t change is Izzy. We love you!”
Listening and evolving
Young people’s feedback continues to shape the programme. This year, changes included increasing workshop frequency in the first half of delivery and offering additional sessions on request – ensuring the programme remains responsive, relevant and led by those it serves.
Partnership and thanks
We are grateful to Brighton & Hove Public Health Schools for their continued partnership and support. Special thanks to Meg Lewis, who attended the celebration despite being unwell to personally recognise the achievements of the Champions and staff.
Thank you also to our e-wellbeing Youth Ambassadors, including Hannah and Lou, for helping to facilitate the event – and a warm welcome to new team member Zeph.
Above all, congratulations to this year’s Mental Health Champions. Through their ideas, leadership and commitment, they are not only improving wellbeing in their schools today, but shaping a more supportive and inclusive future for others.
Learn more about e-wellbeing
Read about last year’s celebration event.
Interested in participating? Mental Health Champions – e-wellbeing
