21-07-2025
Alarming children's mental health condition fact revealed in Bolton conference
One in five children in the North West has a probable diagnosable mental health condition.
This alarming fact was revealed at the first Bolton conference for the Hummingbird Project, which aims to improve children's mental health.
Project manager Ian Platt, who has delivered the bulk of the in-school sessions including at several schools in Bolton, described that figure as 'wildly optimistic".
Hummingbird Project conference project manager Ian Platt (Image: Adrian Greenhalgh) The project involves a free, six-week positive psychology intervention for regional schools.
It was started and is funded by Manchester-based charity MedEquip4Kids, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
It was developed by the University of Greater Manchester under Professor Jerome Carson of the psychology department and also now backed by researchers at two other universities – Chester and the Open University.
As Catherine North, Hummingbird development manager, explained at the conference, it was created in response to concerns about children's mental health and 'overwhelmed' services for them.
The project has been accessed so far by 8,600 pupils aged seven to 18 in the North West.
It covers happiness, kindness, gratitude, mindfulness, character strengths, resilience and growth mindsets.
A rapt audience including teachers heard how the courses have resulted in measurable improvements in well-being and hope and reductions in anxiety and depression.
Catherine North identified some of the root causes of children's problems as abuse and trauma, social media and low self-esteem, pandemic legacy, deprivation and cost of living pressures.
Hummingbird has already led to various developments in the mental health field.
A computer game is proposed and there are plans to take the project to London.
Mr Platt has also been working with parents delivering the Bounce Back intervention at mental health charity MhIST to improve their wellbeing.
Conference speakers included Ifthakar Khaliq from Bolton's Essa Academy, Claudine McFaul from the Open University and Ana-Cristina Tuluceanu from the University of Greater Manchester.
Hummingbird project co-ordinator Sonia Ebenezer-Bamigbayan, Kati-Anne Roughley from Haslam Park Primary School in Bolton, Dr Kevin Hochard and Dr Michelle Tytherleigh both from the University of Chester and Sarah Hobson from St Bede CE Primary Academy in Bolton also spoke.
The mayor of Bolton, Cllr David Chadwick, and Dr Ghazala Baig, chief executive officer of MedEquip4Kids, gave the concluding comments.
Prof Carson described the conference as 'a great success,' adding that the project 'needs more national roll-out".
