A mental health programme for secondary school pupils has been shortlisted for next month’s national NHS Parliamentary awards.
The Tree of Life project was nominated for the ‘Health Equalities’ title by Hackney South and Shoreditch MP Dame Meg Hillier.
It is tailored for the Black community in Hackney and Shoreditch, bringing together East London NHS Foundation support teams in schools and Hackney’s voluntary services.
“Tree of Life has helped me personally with my confidence,” health volunteer Jesse Orlando explained. “I find myself in places I never thought I would be.
“We need to roll this programme out — the project is changing our lives for the better.”
Sessions are run by peer group leaders with Afro-Caribbean backgrounds who have been trained by volunteers with the same ethnic origins. They give youngsters a space where they can discuss difficult experiences in a safe environment.
The project, which is representing London at the national awards, brings groups together as an alternative to traditional mental health therapies.
Winners of the NHS Parliamentary awards are being announced in Westminster on October 14.
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