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Welcome to the latest edition of our #BeeWell newsletter!
In this month’s newsletter:
‘Our Wellbeing, Our Voice’ – Join the campaign!
Together with The Children’s Society, Fair Education Alliance and Pro Bono Economics, as well as more than 40 other organisations, we are calling on the government to commit to a national wellbeing measurement programme – to listen to young people right across England, and act on what they say.
January was a busy campaign month! We submitted written and oral evidence to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill committee, and worked with Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham to lay an amendment calling for national wellbeing measurement which we expect to be discussed by the Bill committee tomorrow.
Read the latest and join the campaign at ourwellbeingourvoice.org [ourwellbeingourvoice.org]
“This is a really important moment and opportunity. It works so well in the areas that #BeeWell is already running in, and it would make a massive difference if it was running across the country.”
– #BeeWell ‘Youth Matters’ steering group
Young people in HIPS lead the way in commissioning youth activities
We are happy to share the local youth initiatives that have been funded through our youth-led commissioning process in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS).
More than 1,000 young people had a voice in the decision-making process that led to this set of commissions. Featuring girls-only sports sessions, a mental health and music project, a neurodiverse theatre tour, and outdoor forest school activities! Congratulations to the local groups involved – we are very excited to work with you over the course of these projects and beyond!
Read our blog post here
A right to be heard: including the voices of young people with special educational needs and disabilities
The inclusion of young people’s voices is not just a matter of good practice – it is a fundamental right and an essential step towards creating a more inclusive education system. Recent research from the #BeeWell team has focused on listening to young people with SEND.
A review looking at the experiences of young people in mainstream education highlighted the importance of providing suitable SEND support, and of including young people in the formation of their own support plans. Valuable insights about participation in wellbeing measurement surveys at school were also gleaned from a qualitative project involving young people with a range of SEND learning in non-mainstream settings.
Read our blog post here
Spotlight On: Relationships
In our latest edition of the Spotlight On series, we are highlighting the importance of relationships for young people’s wellbeing.
In a new research blog, Dr Qiqi Cheng explains the findings of a recent study using #BeeWell data. The study shows the significance of peer relationships for reducing the negative impact of bullying – especially for girls. Read more here
Also celebrating and supporting peer relationships – young people from YouthWatch Hampshire have created a fantastic resource called ‘Friend in Need’. They created this toolkit to empower their peers to navigate difficult conversations with friends who need help. It offers helpful conversation starters and responses, breathing exercises and signposts to sources of support. Check out the resource here
Stay tuned for more information and inspiration as we continue to shine a spotlight on relationships throughout February.
Bringing together our coalition of partners
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our national coalition of partners meeting in January! We were really pleased to share some highlights from 2024, hear from some young people using their local #BeeWell data to drive change, look ahead to 2025 and introduce the “Our Wellbeing, Our Voice” campaign.
You can find the slides and more about the meeting here [beewellprogramme.org].
Save the date
Please save the date for our next coalition meet ups in Spring, where we will be sharing #BeeWell headline findings from the most recent survey data.
Partners in HIPS: Join us online on Wednesday 26th March, 4-5pm.
You can sign up to the meeting here
Partners in GM: Join us online on Wednesday 2nd April 4.30-5.30pm.
You can sign up to the virtual briefing here
Thank you for reading!
