Celebrating a year of Good for Girls
18 October 2021
September 2021 marked the end of the first cohort of our mental health and wellbeing programme, Good for Girls. We celebrated by bringing together 27 community groups from across London.
Throughout 2021, young women aged 10 to 14 participated in activities including sport, art, and talking circles. Each of the youth workers running Good For Girls took part in enhanced training to deliver the programme. London Youth partnered with Haptivate, Teen Yoga Foundation and Young Minds to provide training in areas such as stress management, relaxation techniques and accessing resources and support.
Youth Worker and founder of FOCUS CIC Andrea Corbett reflected on the difference the programme has made for the girls in her group and how it translates to their home life.
“We have definitely noticed a shift in the positivity and mental health of the girls and that’s not just from what we’ve seen, we’ve had parents actually tell us this.”
Girls taking the lead
During the celebration event, young people got the opportunity to take part in training sessions for boxing and Taekwondo as well as presentations on mental health practices. All of these activities allowed the girls to take the lead and show what they have learned. One of the young participants, Chenor, helped to demonstrate the boxing her youth group has been learning and explained how the new mental health components have helped her and her peers.
“This programme has helped me express my feelings and concentrate more and because it’s something that I can do other than school, it’s more of a passion and this passion can help me in the future as well.”
Youth workers remarked that throughout the Good for Girls programme and within the celebration the girls have been able to experience new things, make new friends, and communicate in an area where they have trust and ownership.
After the day of fun, growth, and churros at Pop Brixton, the girls each went home with a tote bag to decorate with messages of community and empowerment.
London Youth Programme Manager Rebakah Keane described how the smiles and those messages the girls took away made all the difference.
“I think that connection is something that can be quite lost for young people today and that for me is the most powerful thing, it’s that you are there with your friends and an adult that you can talk to, and you can trust. That’s really the magic, that is where the magic of the Good For Girls programme happens.”
Take part in Good for Girls
Good for Girls supports young women and girls to access early-intervention mental health and wellbeing support in trusted community spaces. Over the course of the programme, we’ll work with over 900 young women across London.
We’re currently recruiting for members to join the second year of the programme. If you’re interested in getting involved in the next cohort you can apply here.
Thank you to Connect Sport who produced the film.
