Design a trophy for this year's wellbeing awards

The Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards 2023 is now accepting nominations from schools - and this year the judges want students to help design the trophy that will be presented.

The winner of this year's design competition will be able to visit the production company - Cactus Graphics - to watch as the trophies come off the production line. They will be cut from sheets of sustainable bamboo. A photo of the winning student and their trophy will be sent to the local media to celebrate their design achievement and the photo will be displayed on a giant screen at the awards celebration this autumn. So quite the honour potentially for one of your students.

The awards celebrate people, organisations and initiatives that help support wellbeing in schools, charities, business and the community. Nominations are linked to kindness and compassion, wellbeing, or mental health.

Entries should be on A4 and have the young person's name, age, class and school name on the front but not touching the design. Email scans or photographs of the illustrations and send to simondolby@eastkentmind.org.uk but look after the original illustrations as the printer will need it later on. The deadline to send student designs over is Monday 17 June.

Simon Dolby from the judging panel said: "What images do wellbeing and kindness and compassion bring to mind for your students? We want them to turn that vision into a design for our winners' trophy. This can be a class-based activity - perhaps to fit in with a topic such as bullying or kindness - or alternatively set as a homework task."

Please email or call Simon to let him know if you will be undertaking this design task with your class so he can track interest. If you have any questions contact him. Your school or setting is also invited to submit nominations for the awards by visiting the Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards website

Key points:

• Artwork size: A4
• Contact details - write pupil name, age, class, school name on the front, but ensure this does not touch the child's design.
• Deadline - Monday 17 June
• Send a photo or scan of each piece of artwork to simondolby@eastkentmind.org.uk
• Want to post artwork instead?: Contact Simon to arrange.
• Visit the Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards website to find out more.

Still time to nominate your school for a wellbeing award

This year's Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards includes the themes of kindness and compassion, wellbeing and mental health - so schools should consider submitting nominations focusing on anti-bullying initiatives; buddying schemes and inclusiveness - as well as those more directly supporting pupil or staff mental wellbeing.

The awards celebrate the people, initiatives and organisations making a positive contribution towards the wellbeing of the school community.

Staged by the mental health charity East Kent Mind and supported by a range of organisations including Kent County Council, the event will highlight the good ideas used daily in the county's schools to assist with wellbeing in its broadest sense.

Of particular interest to the judges this year are examples of schools involved in:

• Nature areas or outdoor classroom experiences that assist pupils with learning in the natural environment.
• Nature areas that allow students to relax, reflect and de-stress.
• Outdoor gardens and allotments giving pupils hands-on experience of growing plants.
• Forest schools
• Sensory gardens
• Buddying initiatives
• Kindness campaigns
• Anti-bullying campaigns aimed at promoting inclusiveness
• Family wellbeing workshops
• Pastoral care support
• Wellbeing hubs or teams focused on wellbeing and mental health
• Acts of kindness on campus or in the community

Schools should also consider detailing how the staff or volunteers have helped projects to succeed as the judges also like to make awards to people making a difference with wellbeing - not just the initiatives themselves.

Submitting a nomination is easy, simply visit the Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards website

Contact details

Simon Dolby
Telephone: 07989164752
Email: simondolby@eastkentmind.org.uk