03 Jul Clacton firm supports young peoples mental wellbeing
A Clacton firm has donated £19,000 to Mid and North East Essex Mind to support local schoolchildren with their mental health.
Pickering Group, a Clacton-based high-performance electronics company, has enabled a counselling service to be set up to help schoolchildren across Tendring.
The service has been running for six months and has helped many schoolchildren. Benefiting from the service is Elliot a pupil from Clacton Coastal Academy. Six months ago, Elliott was referred by his school to attend counselling treatment to confront his intrusive thoughts after experiencing bullying. At his first counselling session with Mid and North East Essex Mind he was accompanied by a member of the school team because he was frightened and didn’t know what to expect. However a strong relationship between the counsellor and Elliott formed, which offered a safe space for Elliott to express himself.
Elliot has autism but found he could express himself through animated characters. He said his “thoughts are a mess” and puts them in order by drawing them. Thanks to this process the counsellor discovered a way to connect with Elliot. Later, he began to refer to animated characters as people in his life, such as his teachers. He was able to process his own emotions by referring to the characters and their experiences. By the fifth session he said he had learned not to take notice of his negative thoughts, he said he became aware of a thought of wanting to take his own life when he parted from his girlfriend, but now knew they were “just thoughts” and they would “go away”.
Reflecting on Mid and North East Essex Mind’s counsellor, Elliott said: “no one understands me but you do.” Thanks to this intervention, Elliott is now planning a future as an animator and has been accepted into further education.
Ginny Idehen, CEO, Mid and North East Essex Mind, says: “We are so grateful for the generous support from Pickering Group. Enabling us to reach into local communities and support our young people is essential to help their mental health. We are so pleased Elliot is now able to follow his dreams and wish him well for the future.”
Amy Hewer, Group People and Culture Manager at Pickering Group, adds: “Supporting the local community is a crucial aspect of Pickering’s culture. Mid and North East Essex Mind do incredible work in the local area, and we are proud to collaborate with them. After reading Elliott’s story and witnessing its positive impact on his life, it emphasizes the importance of supporting young people with their mental health.”
