Worksop school kids first in county to learn new breathing techniques

The Take Five initiative – organised by Nottinghamshire County Council in partnership with the independent not-for-profit organisation Each Amazing Breath and communities in Worksop - has been a hailed a “tremendous success” since being piloted last year.

An estimated 2,000 children across eight schools in Bassetlaw will have benefitted from the programme by the end of Easter and the county council is now hoping to extend the scheme to more schools in Nottinghamshire.

A research study into the programme’s effects at two pilot schools - Worksop Priory CE Primary School and Sparken Hill Primary Academy - found a number of benefits among pupils reported over a nine-week period, including decreased stress levels and improvements in concentration levels.

Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, community safety committee chairman, at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Children are learning skills and abilities to become aware of moments of tension in life, and how breathing can help them to identify these stressful moments and handle them.

“The young people are then going on to deliver training themselves.”