Sale Sharks and the Sale Sharks Foundation have joined forces with children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, to launch a brand-new, school-based mental wellbeing programme.
The six-week ‘Try2Connect’ project aims to promote positive mental health for primary-school-aged children and includes classroom workshops designed around ‘the five ways to wellbeing’.
Those sessions are followed by tag rugby and multi-sport sessions that incorporate the themes explored during the class-based sessions.
Sharks stars Ben Curry – a Place2Be Champion – Joe Carpenter, Georgie Perris-Redding and Molly Wright were on hand last week as the programme was officially launched at a special event at Ellenbrook Community Primary School in Worsley.
Over the course of the next six weeks it will be delivered across Place2Be and partner primary schools around Greater Manchester.
Sale Sharks Co-Owner, Michelle Orange, who was also present at the event, said: “We’re extremely proud to have partnered with Place2Be on the launch of Try2Connect, a programme which we hope will have a positive lasting impact on children across the region and is another symbol of our commitment to supporting mental health and wellbeing.
“Starting a new rugby season is a lot like starting a new school year in many ways, each bringing their own sense of anticipation and uncertainty, and it’s important that we do what we can to encourage young people to talk about their feelings.
“We’re all really excited about the difference we can make, using our sport to drive what is a crucial message.”
Alongside its two-hour weekly sessions, the project is also designed to promote longevity by creating a ‘Wellbeing Wall’ in each school, with a total of 24 schools to benefit from the programme during the next 12 months.
For further information on the project, visit www.place2be.org.uk.
