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Fostering Wellbeing in Young People: St Swithun’s Wellbeing and Grit Festival featuring Will Young |
A day dedicated to mental health, mindfulness and wellbeing; St Swithun’s School was transformed into a Wellbeing and Grit festival – featuring workshops, activities and a special appearance by Will Young.
National pop artist and author of Be Yourself and Happier: The A-Z of Wellbeing, Will Young, gave an inspiring talk and took part in a Q&A hosted by sixth-form students. “I wanted to tell the girls that we are all so brilliantly unique and that there is nobody else like you in the world. The students listened so well, and the panel asked some excellent questions.
“The special thing in a school like St Swithun’s is that you can come together as a collective on a day like this, like a family, and you can celebrate each other’s individuality. It has been a wonderful event and I’m so thankful to have been invited to speak.”
The festival opened with a performance, Q&A and autograph session from The Entitled Sons. A charismatic band of brothers, The Entitled Sons shared their advice and stories on bullying and mental health, telling students, “There are always going to be things you don’t enjoy…(but) when you find that thing you really love, try really hard at that because you could be doing it forever. You could even be doing it as a career.”
Girls then visited different zones around the school grounds, each promoting a different aspect of wellbeing. The relaxation zone offered a tranquil escape with calming experiences such as breathwork, charcoal yoga, perfume making, and hypnotherapy.
Dr Helen O’Connor, St Swithun’s clinical psychologist and festival organiser, explained, “The main aim for the day was to find opportunities for the students to focus on their wellbeing and to put themselves in situations that they may not normally have tried.”
Exemplifying this spirit of curiosity and challenge, girls immersed themselves in pottery throwing, African drumming and circus tricks in the enquiring and grit zone. Army veteran Rob Shenton later joined the zone to share his journey from a serious skull fracture and PTSD to representing Team UK in the Invictus Games, inspiring students with a powerful lesson in resilience and perseverance.
“I think today has shown St Swithun’s at its very best, both in our focus on wellbeing and in the grit of the girls who have thrown themselves fully into activities they have never tried before, going from one to the next with huge smiles”, said Lucy Tipp, head of psychology at St Swithun’s.
Prep students had the opportunity to explore wellbeing tools with sessions in breathwork, hypnotherapy, mindfulness and vision boarding before bouncing across the field in zorbs and enjoying an inflatable obstacle course. The petting zoo, complete with alpaca walking, was a highlight for all students. A myriad of activities continued to take place across the prep school in the afternoon including dancing, nutrition workshops and yoga.
Back in the senior school, girls enjoyed a twist on the traditional Hyrox with Swithrox – a combination of running and functional workouts to push and challenge them, as well as a sensory walk and a dancing session. The all-girls school is keen for students to enjoy an active lifestyle, and for its young people to learn the positive impact of exercise both physically and mentally.
The last zone was positive purpose and giving back. Students prepared flower arrangements, which they then delivered to a local care home, and baked cookies for The Winchester Beacon night shelter. Vicki from St Catherine’s View care home thanked all involved and said, “It was great to see that these were extremely well received by the residents – and the families in the homes visiting today. They have really brightened up the home.”
St Swithun’s headmistress, Jane Gandee, reflecting on the festival said, “We feel that wellbeing is the foundation for success both in and beyond the classroom. Girls who feel supported and confident in themselves can achieve anything they set their minds to.”
Prep pupils aged 3-11 benefited from the exposure to wellbeing tools and activities, and Prep Head Liz Norris added, “Unique experiences like this show our girls that looking after your wellbeing can be fun and rewarding. We hope they carry these lessons with them long after today.”
St Swithun’s is an all-girls' independent school with award-winning pastoral care. The school’s aim is to educate students about how to look after themselves and to develop relevant self-care strategies. We want them to be aware of when they are struggling; to have strategies that they can use and to have the confidence to speak to someone if they need extra help.
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