School near Worksop appoints Mental Health Ambassadors to support students wellbeing

The new Student Mental Health Ambassadors at Heritage High School in Clowne have undergone comprehensive training, equipping them with the necessary skills to provide support, encouragement, and a compassionate ear to fellow students who may be struggling with mental health challenges.

Deb Elsdon, headteacher of Heritage High School, said: "I am delighted that we have our Mental Health Ambassadors in school to support positive mental health and ensure that our students' wellbeing is always our priority.

"I am proud of all the students' hard work and effort to achieve this status, as we continue to live by our ethos of 100 per cent kindness, 100 per cent consistency."

The selected Student Mental Health Ambassadors will serve as inspirational role models for their peers. While they are not trained to diagnose mental health conditions, they are highly adept at recognising signs of distress and changes in behaviour that may indicate a student is in need of support.

Their primary role is to offer guidance and signpost their peers to appropriate resources, both within and outside the school. Most importantly, they provide a safe and non-judgmental space for students to express their feelings openly.

One of the Ambassadors said: "I applied to become a Mental Health Ambassador because looking after your mental health is really important. I wanted to use the skills I learned to help me support others and also to help myself when I am going through difficult times."