OnTarget Sheffield

Mental Health Awareness Week By Ellie Marlow The 18th to the 24th May saw the Mental Health Foundation promote Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme of kindness. The campaign encourages people to drive conversations about mental health to reduce stigma and create permanent change. This is an incredibly important cause to OnTarget. Our school programme aims to use relatable mentors and work placements to help students gain important life skills that boosts their confidence and self-worth, helping to improve their mental health. The widespread encouragement of open discussions on mental health is vital in providing methods for people to cope with mental health issues and publicising resources that can help. The campaign has been running since 2001 but has assumed special significance this year considering the strain of the coronavirus pandemic and associated challenges. Mind has launched their #speakyourmind campaign as part of this week, encouraging people to reach out to friends

By Ellie Marlow The Situation The global pandemic has altered how everyone conducts their lives, and this is no different for OnTarget. Unable to send mentors into school to deliver our usual service, we explored alternative routes to ensure we could continue to provide benefits to the local and wider community. As has often occurred during this time of change and adaptation, social media emerged as a key resource. Its ability to connect people regardless of location has proved invaluable during this period of distance and isolation. Drawing on this powerful attribute, OnTarget adapted its operation to ensure our key aim of improving mental wellbeing and employability prospects, using student role models, was achieved. The Solution This began with us noticing a gap in support for parents and guardians having to teach their children at home due to school closures. We wanted to address this. Considering the multitude of students now without studies and more available time, we constructe