RESPONSES
Initiatives like this need to be encouraged
The pressures on young people in todays modern society are just so intense. As a mother of a teenage boy, I am only too aware of how much youngsters are being bombarded, by social media in particular, to be like someone, act like someone, have things like someone.
As a journalist, and as someone who has written about mental health in young people, I am only too aware that young people, particularly between the ages of 10 and 14 are increasingly not able to cope with these pressures and are suffering terrible consequences as a result. The figures for self harming, eating disorders and suicide amongst our young are heartbreaking.  
The media and politicians seem to be finally waking up to what is a growing epidemic of mental health issues in our young. Initiatives like this need to be encouraged to help with what is frankly one of the biggest problems facing families and young people in our society today
 
Flair Gougoulia Mother, Businesswoman and Journalist 




Who doesn't remember the challenges of transition from Primary school to Secondary School? Students suddenly find themselves in a big school surrounded by confident boisterous students, Father Christmas is a distant memory and suddenly there is pressure everywhere. Academic pressure, pressure to be organised, pressure to succeed and pressure to grow up! How short should a skirt be? What is too much makeup? What if nobody fancies me? Who am I? Is a detention the end of the world? A year 7 is faced with a myriad of choices to make and the key is to help them before they get to secondary school so that they make informed choices.
Rachel Clarke-Happel. Secondary School Teacher
About
  • 'As a Primary School teacher, I understand the importance of a smooth transition to Secondary School. For every child the move to ‘Big School’ can be a mix of emotions, exciting but daunting all at once. Although we prepare the children as best we can through visits, link projects and talking to them about the ‘technicalities’ of Secondary life (moving about to different classrooms, having different teachers, the form tutor / head of year system etc) nothing can quite prepare them for ‘being’ a Secondary School student. This is where I see this project really coming into it’s own. For our pupils, the ability to access videos and content made by ‘real’ teenagers and entrepreneurs on subjects that are relevant to them would be a great resource and one, I feel, parents would be on board with too, alleviating their own worries and knowing their children are viewing this content on a safe, password protected platform. '
  • Rhiannon Perkins Primary School Teacher
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Lets make a difference with ZoneUm

Hello I'm Ann, qualified Mental Health Nurse and Midwife. I have three children two of whom suffer with anxiety and depression. School transitions have always been a trigger for their anxiety. Therefore when I heard about ZoneUm I was excited. Finally a safe,screened environment where children,heading from the relative security of Primary School into the larger more independent world of Secondary, can access a site, at their own pace, that can provide cool, non prescriptive advice on a range of high trend topics. Totally private to that young person, guaranteed to set them on the right path. It's a no brainer and Schools will delight in the positive results ZoneUm will no doubt provide as it grows.



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