● The MELVA programme supports children at a developmentally critical age to teach effective wellbeing strategies and build emotional resilience. ● Schools access the MELVA programme through annual licences, which can be gifted by businesses as part of their ESG commitments. ● Muckle LLP and Ryder Architecture have gifted 13 MELVA licences to schools across the North. A unique programme supporting children aged 7-11 years with their mental health has secured the backing of two of the region’s most prominent businesses. Law firm Muckle LLP and architecture practice Ryder Architecture have joined forces with award winning theatre, drama, and creative learning company Mortal Fools to support the distribution of their children’s mental health programme, MELVA, by gifting 13 licences between them to schools across the North. MELVA is a creative intervention programme for key stage two children, their teachers, and families, designed in response to the 2017 green paper ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’ and the national young people’s mental health crisis, which currently sees one in six children aged 5-16 with diagnosable mental health conditions. Initially established by Mortal Fools as a live touring performance package by for North East schools, the MELVA programme has since been developed into a digital resource, making it accessible to thousands of young people across the UK, with 66 schools having used it so far. This chargeable web-based creative programme, which is available through annual licences, MELVA is designed to be led by teaching staff in schools, taking children through a fun and creative story-based programme designed to help them better understand and manage their emotions and mental wellbeing. Consisting of animations, a feature film split into episodes, an interactive choose-your-own- adventure game, a toolbox of teacher resources, interactive classroom resources and flexible delivery structure - the MELVA programme follows the adventures of Melva Mapletree, a young girl who navigates a set of challenges as she learns to recognise, understand and manage her ‘worrits’ - what she calls those niggling worries and concerns that can be difficult for children to identify and deal with. The digital resource was particularly beneficial for young people’s mental health during Covid-19 and supporting with the isolation caused by lockdowns and the ongoing post-pandemic impact. Kiz Crosbie, Mortal Fools CEO & Artistic Director said: “Collaborations with compassionate and civic-minded business partners like Muckle LLP and Ryder Architecture enables us to remove significant barriers for schools to access this important programme, 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!”
The support of businesses like Muckle LLP and Ryder Architecture enables schools, many of whom have been impacted by increasing demands and shrinking budgets, to access the MELVA programme and learn new ways to support their children. Muckle LLP community team selected five North East schools to gift MELVA to as part of their evolving commitment to ESG, while Ryder Architecture are gifting eight licences to schools across the North as part of their 70th anniversary celebrations. Hugh Welch, senior partner from Muckle LLP commented: “We are delighted to have been able to partner with Mortal Fools. We believe that business can and should be a force for good - giving back and sharing our success is central to our values and culture. We know that all actions, big and small, can move the needle in a positive direction. That’s why it’s important for us to be able to support our local community with resources like MELVA, that align with our values of supporting young people, overcoming disadvantage, and improving social mobility.” Richard Wise, Partner from Ryder Architecture added: “I have two hats to wear when it comes to Mortal Fools. As a partner at Ryder Architecture, I cannot praise them enough for what they do. Many of our people have benefitted from the personal and professional develop training programmes they deliver. As Chair of Trustees, I am incredibly proud of the positive impact Mortal Fools has on the lives of the young people they serve. 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 have been able to support the programme as part of our 70th anniversary year.” For more information on the MELVA programme visit www.melva.org.uk To download the MELVA brochure showcasing how businesses can support children and young peoples’ mental health by investing into the programme click here!
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Join Company Three for their 'Making Theatre with Young People' training hosted by Mortal Fools9/12/2023 We are delighted to be hosting our friends and project partners – the award-winning Company Three for a practice development workshop across two days on 1st & 2nd November. This high quality and impactful training called ‘Making Theatre with Young People’ is for folks working with young people to create and co-create creative and performance-based content.
Company Three are united on a mission to give teenagers the power to tell their own stories and create their own change. They do this as a theatre company of professional theatre makers and led by the ideas of 75 young people aged 11-19. Their approach to co-creation and using youth theatre a vehicle for social change, personal growth and as a place of community, has long been a source of inspiration to us at Mortal Fools and influenced our practice. Some members of our team have attended this training before and found it impactful, game changing and a must for theatre makers and folks making performance work with young people. We thoroughly recommend this course, and we are very excited to be bringing it to the North East. Making Theatre with Young People - Company Three About: Led by Company Three's Artistic Director, Ned Glasier, this 2-day course will give you an overview of how they make plays with young people. Company Three will share how they create a space in which young people feel safe to express themselves and a step-by-step guide to turning their ideas and material into a finished play. Course times: Two days – 1st & 2nd November, 10am – 5pm Cost: It is £175 per person to attend this two-day course. The course has been subsidised by Mortal Fools and would normally be £250 per person to attend or thousands if commission the training directly for an organisation. Location: At YMCA Northumberland, North View, Ashington NE63 9XQ Venue has changing facilities, disabled toilet, vending machine, and on-site car park. If on site car parking is full – there is free car parking close by. To familiarise yourself with the venue, facilities, and locations – head to YMCA Northumberland website: https://ymcanorthumberland.org.uk/ Who is the Making Theatre with Young People course for? Theatre-makers, artists, choreographers, musicians, teachers, youth workers, writers, producers, and anyone who is interested in meaningful artistic collaboration with young people. How much experience do I need? The course works best when there are people with a wide mix of experience in the room - from beginners to those who have been doing it for years. Access: It is Company Three and Mortal Fools’ responsibility to make this course and venue accessible so that everyone can participate in it. Please contact us via: katej@mortalfools.org.uk with your access needs prior to booking and if appropriate we will follow up with more information/opportunity to chat to the team. There will be a note taker at the event recording contributions across the two days – notes will be shared after the session. Attendees will receive a pre-course email with information about the days and what to expect. About Company Three: You can find out more about Company Three via their website: www.companythree.co.uk How to book or express interest: To book and/or to request more information email Team Mortal Fools via: katej@mortalfools.org.uk We have limited places available on this course and it will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Once you’re booked on – Mortal Fools will raise an invoice for payment for £175 which will be payable ahead of attending, and only payment of invoice officially confirms your place. MELVA: An Investment in Children & An ESG Opportunity for Businesses & Socially Engaged Leaders7/7/2023 Children’s charity Mortal Fools, believe businesses must go further and faster, to build a better world for the future and unlock crucial, urgent support for children and young people in our communities. With Public Health England estimating 1/6 children have a diagnosable mental health condition, it has never been more important to find new ways to support young people; MELVA is an award-winning practical, revolutionary way to do just that and businesses and/or leaders can gift the full MELVA digital package to a setting of their choice. MELVA is an innovative, creative, impactful way for organisations and leaders to support children aged 7—11yrs old and a clear way to achieve ESG/CSR objectives; it’s a very tangible, measurable way to demonstrate an investment in children’s wellbeing and communities, development of foundational life skills and their futures. What is Melva? MELVA is a creative digital package supporting KS2 children to talk openly about and better understand their mental health, emotions, and wellbeing. Through MELVA, settings gain access to an online portal, toolbox of resources and suggested framework of delivery, an episodic film, lesson plans, choose your own adventure game, interactive activity booklets and a user guide, full of guidance developed in consultation with teachers. Through MELVA’s structured programme, educators are empowered to hold space effectively and safely for open and positive wellbeing conversations, and it supports RSHE curriculum delivery in a high impact way. Focusing on early intervention, this digital programme scaffolds the development of resilience pathways, positive emotional responses and cultivates a shared understanding of what it means to look after yourself and others. Gift Melva to a setting of your choice Organisations and leaders can join the likes of Muckle & Ryder Architecture in gifting the Melva digital programme to a primary school setting of their choice. For settings, the cost of the programme can be prohibitive in the contemporary landscape of ever-changing budgets, sector cuts alongside increasing children’s needs and worsening mental health. When gifting a Melva package, you are investing in a high impact, wellbeing intervention, that will support children at a developmentally critical age, alongside scaffolding increased resilience and emotional intelligence, so they can thrive as healthy, happy teens and adults (i.e. the future workforce!) You can gift Melva with a setting in mind or Team Mortal Fools can work with you to identify a setting to gift to - we are open to larger scale gifting and multi-purchases. By gifting MELVA and you can help Mortal Fools, reach more children and young people. We also have options for organisations to utilize Melva in various forms to benefit the families of their employees. What’s next?
Download our Melva Information Pack for Businesses and Leaders– it’s full of testimonials from teachers and children, more detail on the MELVA programme and its impact alongside demonstrating how it could connect to ESG objectives and support children in local communities. If you’re a business or leader interested in gifting Melva to a primary school setting you can book an exploratory conversation via: Rachel.Horton@mortalfools.org.uk If you’re curious about the Melva programme and want to explore bringing it into your setting, drop the Melva team an email via: melva@mortalfools.org.uk Download our What’s on Offer At Mortal Fools Resource - get to know Mortal Fools work with children and young people more broadly and engage with Mortal Fools Youth Theatre co-created free digital content! |