Mick Phipps, host and co-founder of THE PODBARBER’S WELLBEING PROJECT podcast is channelling his wisdom and energy into a project that will revolutionise school-age mental healthcare forever.
Mick is working with a local high school to create a safe space where children can share their feelings with appropriate adults, without judgement.
Mick says, “This was an opportunity to make a difference in my own community. This is the school that I went to and the school my children will attend, and I knew that my platform with the Podbarber Podcast and my place in the community as a barbershop owner could make an impact. I’ve raised over £20,000 in funds and over £10,000 in donated time from tradespeople to make this amazing space within the school – a place where children can talk openly about their feelings. It’s a mental health first aid unit for the student body and the first of its kind in the country.
The Pandemic has left our youth with huge mental health challenges, and they aren’t being properly addressed. This light, bright space is safe and secure and will serve as a place where children can sit with their feelings in a healthy way, rather than become isolated and end up feeling worse.”
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Mick is on a mission to arm our youth with the emotional literacy they need to build mental resilience and protect themselves as they grow. He has conducted extensive research and spoken with teachers and mental health professionals to design the space. At a time when government funding is scarce and when 1 in 6 children aged 6-16 have a diagnosed mental health issue, this project will make a real difference.
Mick adds, “We are creating a place where, in their moment of crisis, children will have the confidence to know they can be supported by a caregiver in privacy and comfort. Conversation really is the cure.”