Last week, Gentoo Group partnered with BlueJay Wellness CIC to show their support for Anti-Bullying Week. The partnership delivered sessions that reached more than 500 young people across 9 primary schools. The sessions involved lots of fun with a serious message.
BlueJay Wellness CIC uses yoga and mindfulness to discuss bullying, teaching young people to use positive self-talk to empower them. The sessions help them to feel able to report bullying but also to help reduce mental health issues that may lead to young people feeling the need to hurt others.
Lisa Cryer, founder of BlueJay Wellness CIC said: “'I'm so grateful to Gentoo for their support in this brilliant project across the city. The impact is going to be massive, reaching over 500 children and spreading these important messages.”
As well as providing vital housing, Gentoo supports its customers and communities by investing in services that help people live their best possible life.
Louise Bassett, CEO of Gentoo Group said: “As the largest landlord in Sunderland, we feel responsible for creating safe environments for children and young people. We know we cannot do everything on our own and we value partnerships with social enterprises like BlueJay Wellness.
“We want the children in our communities to feel safe but to also understand the seriousness of bullying and these brilliant sessions will hopefully raise awareness of anti-bullying and reduce its impact.”
The teachers commented on the relaxed atmosphere and said that the children were made to feel comfortable with speaking about personal opinions and the sessions gave them a greater understanding of their self-worth.
Nicola Hill, headteacher at Hetton Primary School said: “We know that children are suffering more and more with mental health and want to encourage talking about it. Thank you for coming to us.”
Anti-Bullying Week is a campaign co-ordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, with the theme 'Make A Noise About Bullying'.
Anti-Bullying Week will remind everyone whether it’s in school, at home, in the community or online, we can bring an end to bullying. Schools are able to download free teaching resources and themed assemblies, that encourage young people to consider what bullying means, how banter can turn into something more hurtful, and what we can do to stop bullying.
For more information, visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
For more information on BlueJay Wellness, visit their website.
