This week is Children’s Mental Health Week, an important week which aims to give a voice to all children and young people in the UK. Children’s Mental Health Week, launched by mental health charity Place2Be, was set up in 2015 and, each year, hundreds of schools, children, parents and carers take part. Now in its 10th year, this year’s theme is ‘my voice matters’. Place2Be is a children and young people’s mental health charity which provides mental health support in schools through one-to-one and group counselling, as well as expert training and professional qualifications. No child in Wales should have to face mental health problems alone and that’s why I’m proud to support Place2Be’s campaign for Children’s Mental Health Week.
During the last week, I have also been encouraging schools to Talk PANTS! Talk PANTS is a campaign to help children recognise what abuse is and how to speak up if anything doesn’t feel right. Aimed at parents and carers of children aged three to 11, it gives adults advice on how to talk to children in an age-appropriate way about sexual abuse, without using any scary words. We know that simple conversations can make a big difference and that’s what the Talk PANTS campaign is all about.
Schools can create their Talk PANTS display during a Talk PANTS lesson and then post a picture online tagging #TalkPANTSDayCymru to be in with a chance to win a prize – the prize will be a free PANTS goodie bag and a visit from the Pantosaurus mascot, who I met on the steps of the Senedd. Please get in touch with my constituency office if you have any questions or want to know more about Talk PANTS resources.
I know that the closure of banks in our towns and on our high streets is something many Leader readers will be concerned about and it is an issue I have campaigned on in the past. So, last Friday, it was good to have the chance to go and find out more about the new Banking Hub in Prestatyn. The first of its kind in Wales and a partnership between the Post Office and Cash Access UK, it offers access to cash and a number of over-the-counter services as well as hosting Community Bankers on rotation with a different bank or building society available on each day of the week. While it is still early days for the new initiative on the high street, it certainly sets out a possibility for what the future of some of these services could look like elsewhere in a way that means both residents and businesses have direct access to support and services.
Closer to home, I’m grateful to the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and John Worthington for hosting a visit to Maes y Groes Farm in Cilcain, where I had the chance to hear from a number of local farmers and representatives of the union. We talked about the future of farming and it was a welcome opportunity to for me to hear first hand about some of the challenges and opportunities they face. I’m looking forward to some further visits and hopefully working together to spread awareness about where our food comes from and the value of supporting local and sustainable food supply chains.
Are you looking to transform an unloved area into a beautiful garden or do you want to create a community hub or help people to grow their own fruit and veg? Keep Wales Tidy has a scheme called Local Places for Nature and they give away free garden packages to community groups, schools and other community-based organisations. The packages contain everything you need to set up your community garden, from native plants to tools, resources and other materials. The find out more or to apply for a pack, go to www.keepwalestidy.cymru/our-work/conservation/nature.
As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email hannah.blythyn@senedd.wales. You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/HannahBlythynForDelyn. Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don’t need to wait until an advice surgery.