Young people working hard to make sure their voices are heard
Young people have been sharing their mental health participation stories, podcasts and poems to promote how they are helping to shape services in Norfolk and Waveney.
The work by members of Norfolk and Suffolk Mental Health Trust's (NSFT) Particip8 group was used as part of Norfolk County Council's Takeover Practice Week which had the theme Understood not Overlooked.
People Participation Co-ordinator Andrea Bland said feedback from the week had been a real boost for the young people involved. It included how the attendees would make changes based on what the Particp8 members and other young people had said.
Takeover Practice Week was led by young people as a way to amplify the voices of children and young people.
Particip8 member Lucy Hickman's poem The Tree was in the material used. She said: "The feedback in incredible! I am so grateful to have produced something that people can connect with, but also give insight into a different way of thinking about struggling with mental health."
Another Particp8 member, Ky Howells, provided resources for a coproduction showcase at the Forum in Norwich.
The event was facilitated by Norfolk County Council's Making It Real team and it was the second year NSFT has attended to showcase key pieces of participation work in Norfolk and Waveney from the previous 12 months.
Ky said: "Having all my work displayed as part of the coproduction showcase felt incredibly rewarding. It was such a positive experience - not just because I got to share something I'm proud of, but also because it helped me feel more connected to others."
The coproduction showcase included the creation of a bespoke event playlist as part of the young people's Music Takeover.
Particip8 members also took part in the Let's TALK podcast series for the Training, Applied Learning and Knowledge (TALK) Centre.
The episode focuses on young people's participation at NSFT, including the Particip8 group, and allowed young participants the opportunity to share their lived experience of getting involved.
They talked about what made them want to join Particip8, their favourite projects as part of the group, what they have found most interesting about being involved and why participation is important.
One young participant shared her story of joining Participa8. She said: "What really drew me in was the passion of the people and the flexibility of the group. You can be involved as much or as little as you want, and you choose when and how you take part. There's often an assumption that the next generation won't take action, but Particip8 is a great example of young people stepping up to support others."
Young participant Lauren also shared her experiences via the podcast. She said: "Participation gives you the chance to try new things and grow, helps boost confidence and makes you feel proud of what you've done. It shows you that your voice matters and it's great to be around other young people and feel part of something."
Read more on NSFT's Young People's Participation webpage .
The event playlist
Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven
Thunderstruck - ACDC
Gladiator - Zayde Wolf
Boyhood - The Japanese House
Olumi - Adewale Ayuba
Hope - NF
Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey
Can't Hold Us (feat Ray Dalton) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Pink Pony Club - Chappell Roan
Last Christmas - Wham
Shine - Take That
Suburbia - Pet Shop Boys
One Day Like This - Elbow
The Sound of Silence - Disturbed
Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
The Tree (a poem by Lucy Hickman)
The darkness overwhelms you.
Each day is hard. Each day you are lost.
Lost inside your mind - with no one to turn to. You are weighed down by the earth and the abundant troubles it holds.
You are a seed.
Waiting to break free; waiting to see the light.
One day you gain the courage to depart the gloom.
Your call for help is answered by nature as she provides you the tools to grow.
It is terrifying, a leap into the unknown. But nature will counsel you if you fall.
It's your journey but she will guide you.
You grow into a sapling - small and scared. Yet you are so far from where you started.
You make progress.
Day by day your first branch lengthens.
It is an arm of self worth and confidence.
Although mother nature guides you. This progress is made alone.
It's a relationship of empathy.
You're growing alone with the help of the loving eater she provides.
You acknowledge that accepting help has led you to understand your journey forwards.
You find one day your branch stops growing. Your progress is frozen.
You are stuck.
You begin to feel lost, desperate.
You reject any more help because you feel like you cannot grow.
Your first branch isn't developing further, So why should you continue working?
There is no way forward.
However an unseen branch is forming. The branch of joy begins to flourish.
Yesterday it wasn't visible. Today you view life in a different light.
Finally you can see the progress that was hidden by your fascination on the visible.
Mother nature reminds you that you continue to move forward even if you cannot see your progress.
A branch of strength is hidden.
It has been there for a long time - you wouldn't have made it this far without it. Your strength blossoms from your past storms and accomplishments.
Battles you continue to live through and floods that don't drown you just encourage your strength to thrive.
As a tree you are strong, resilient and brave. You can withstand the worst weather.
You learn about yourself and grow each day. Most importantly, you do not allow your past to stunt your growth.
Your past pain is rooting you in place - the resilience it gives stops you falling.
Growth occurs in different parts of you simultaneously.
All these parts group together showing your strength and determination.
You are a tree.
You have fought many battles and won. You flourish from your past pain and how it forces you to grow.
You know that pain isn't terminal.
So each day you will dance in the wind through it.