​Four of the region’s businesses have demonstrated their commitment to supporting children’s mental health by sponsoring a unique storytelling intervention.
 
Muckle LLP, Ryder Architecture, Sorella Sorella and Square One Law are this year’s sponsors of MELVA, an award-winning intervention using storytelling and creative activities to improve children and young people’s knowledge and understanding of mental health and wellbeing and teach transformational self-management techniques.
 
Developed by creative learning charity Mortal Fools, MELVA is delivered by teachers in primary school settings and with older young people in specialist provision. Available through annual licences, MELVA uses creative storytelling, engaging characters, and practical activities to help children learn about how to recognise, understand, talk about and manage their mental wellbeing.
 
Recent Public Health England statistics show that 1 in 5 children and young people have a probable mental health disorder – and that suicide is now the main cause of death in children in the UK.
 
This generation of children and young people - Generation Alpha - have experienced uniquely challenging circumstances. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many spent long periods isolated and indoors, have grown up during times of political, social and economic turmoil, with factors like the cost-of-living crisis intensifying pressures on children.

The MELVA programme has been designed for prevention and early intervention. It is for all children, not just those who are already struggling or in crisis. The programme focuses on teaching children and young people foundational basic skills and the understanding they need to keep themselves well, whatever challenges they might face in their lives now and in the future. It supports them to develop emotional literacy, resilience pathways, and healthy, supportive relationships.
 
Sorella Sorella and Square One Law are new MELVA sponsors this year, joining Muckle LLP and Ryder Architecture who return for a second year of sponsorship.
 
Roya Talai, Owner at Sorella Sorella, said: “We are delighted to support Mortal Fools as our chosen charity for 2025. Mortal Fools, through their Melva programme, support children and young people with their emotional and mental health wellbeing.
 
“As parents ourselves, we recognise the importance of giving children the information they need to be able to manage and understand their emotions, and to be able to support a North East based charity doing this is fantastic.”
 
Maria Brooks​​​​, Director of Operations at Square One Law, commented: “Now more than ever, supporting young people’s mental health is absolutely crucial, and Mortal Fools is leading the way with their innovative Melva programme.
 
“We’re happy to play a small part in helping to bring Melva to local schools - by using storytelling to teach practical wellbeing techniques, they make mental health accessible and engaging for children.”

 
Nicola Leyden, Director of HR at Muckle LLP, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support Mortal Fools through its MELVA programme for a second year.
 
“The work they do in encouraging young people to increase their knowledge and understanding of mental health and connect with a language enabling them to talk about this openly is extremely important and is something we wholeheartedly support through our grant funding here at Muckle.”
 
Richard Wise, Partner at Ryder Architecture, added: “As a business we’re committed to helping young people to progress and thrive by supporting education initiatives in the communities in which we work.
 
“MELVA has never been more relevant. It tackles issues of anxiety, confidence and mental health in an imaginative and engaging way, and we are delighted to be supporting the programme for a second year.”
 
At a time when school budgets are being squeezed more than ever, support from local businesses enables children and young people across the region and beyond to benefit from the programme.
 
Kiz Crosbie, Mortal Fools CEO & Artistic Director, commented: “Sponsorship from compassionate and civic-minded businesses has enabled us to remove significant barriers for schools to access MELVA, placing effective mental health resources directly into the hands of the children who need it most.
​
“The more businesses like this we work with, the more children we can reach. We would love more businesses to invest in MELVA, so we can reach even more young people!”

To find out more about how your business can support the MELVA programme, visit https://melva.org.uk/gift-melva/.
 

​Recent figures also show that over half (54%) of young people in the UK who are currently not in education, employment or training are economically inactive - an increase from 41% in 2011. For these young people, mental health has been identified as a “substantial barrier” to employability.
 
Unlike historic employability initiatives which have often focused on getting people ‘CV ready’ and encouraging them to pursue any employment regardless of suitability, CONNECT: Future Ready is a person-centric, needs-based approach harnessing the power of creativity as an initial way of boosting confidence and skills.
 
CONNECT: Future Ready draws on Mortal Fools’ existing CONNECT personal and professional development training to provide holistic support and meet Northumberland-based young people where they are at in their employability journey, acknowledging their unique and complex needs and aspirations whilst developing their employability, interpersonal and life skills. 
 
Kiz Crosbie, Mortal Fools CEO & Artistic Director, commented: “As an organisation specialising in work with young people, we are delighted to be working with the North East Combined Authority to explore new approaches to employability skills development with the young people in our region.
 
“More traditional approaches to employability often don’t meet the contemporary needs of young people, especially those with intersectional needs or facing multiple barriers to successfully joining the workforce.
 
“This investment, to explore new approaches to this work, feeding into the future economic prosperity of our region, together with supporting the development of individual young people is urgently needed and we are proud to be a part of it.”

The project is one of two new employability initiatives led by Mortal Fools, who have led a range of creative interventions in school and youth settings as well as previous young people’s employability projects.
 
Alongside CONNECT: Future Ready, Mortal Fools is also working on the CONNECT: Creative Futures pilot project, with support from North East Combined Authority, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Asda Foundation and Arts Council England. CONNECT: Creative Futures aims to demystify career pathways for young people into the creative industries and champion creativity as an important employability skill.
 
Amber Swift from Northumbrian Water, which held a Creative Futures event, commented: “The Mortal Fools Team are like a warm hug to work with. Nothing was a problem.
 
“The students and schools got so much from their workshop, it was noted as a Top 3 from the event with many saying it was engaging, thought-provoking and that they gained valuable skills for employment and education. Especially more confidence!
 
“We won’t hesitate to contact Mortal Fools again for our next Young Citizens Work Experience Event and we would encourage other companies to reach out to them – they bring something different to work experience weeks and careers events!”

With the Northumberland Train line set to be reintroduced as a passenger route, both initiatives have the potential to open up a world of opportunity for local young people,  as well as enabling businesses and investment to tap into a previously untapped hotspot of talent and creativity.
 
Vicki Clarke, Employment Partnership Coordinator at Northumberland County Council, added: “We recognise the barriers that young people can face into employment – it’s a challenging time to be a young person.
 
“These innovative employability programmes from Mortal Fools will inspire creativity, build confidence, and foster wellbeing to empower individuals to take steps towards employment and their future career goals. We are proud to support them.”
 
The first CONNECT: Future Ready programme launches in early October (signup deadline on 29th September) - find out more and sign up here.
 
To find out more about Mortal Fools’ young people’s employability work, or to commission Mortal Fools to run an employability enhancing intervention or session for young people, email [email protected].

We're excited to announce a FREE summer programme for young people in Ashington to explore what music means to them, share what inspires them and have a go at creating their own songs. 

Building on the success of our Sounding Board Youth Theatre Project we are creating free, bookable, open access sessions over the summer holidays at YMCA Northumberland, to give more young people the chance to explore the expressive power of music. 

Participants can have a go at playing instruments, writing lyrics, trying out digital music production and using a recording studio, guided by our fantastic professional guest musician Calum Howard and our team of friendly and creative Theatre Practitioners and Youth Workers. We will be guided by the interests and ideas of our groups, making original music that expressed what really matters to them. 
​
These sessions were created in partnership with YMCA Northumberland's Changemakers project, which uses the power of music to encourage young people to make positive change in their community. 

​Places are limited and we recommend coming to each day for the best experience but we can accommodate people if they aren’t able to do so, please let us know when you sign up.
​
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the sessions get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling 07594 798 073.

Please help us get the word out and share this news post with anyone you think may be interested.