_edited.png)
Right now couldn’t be more of a perfect time to shout about Bridge the Gap and the brilliant work they are doing in Derby.
As someone who works at Bridge the Gap, I witness firsthand the incredible impact this team is making across our city. Working closely with the practitioners, I see the dedication and effort they put in behind the scenes to support children and families. Their passion for the cause is undeniable, you can tell they are here because they truly care.
Although I don’t work with the children, I answer the front door to families, witness workshops (usually in the corner taking pictures!), create content for socials, and write about what’s going on (if you’re signed up to the mailing list, it’s most likely me you’re receiving an email from!).
Essentially, over my nine months of working here - I’ve gotten to know Bridge the Gap and the work they do really well.
At 22 years old, it hasn’t been long since I left the education system, and like many children, I struggled with my emotions along the way.
I am almost envious of every child that walks through the Bridge the Gap doors, as I know they are about to receive invaluable support and care. I can’t help but wonder what trajectory my life would’ve taken if a service like this existed just a decade earlier in Derby.
School was not an environment that I thrived in - at all. My main difficulties were low confidence, low self-esteem, poor communication skills, high-level anxiety, frequently getting upset, and school avoidance.
I had no way of regulating any of these emotions, there was no intervention, no teacher recognised the signs of something deeper.
Primary school was a nightmare to be honest, it makes me uncomfortable to think back.
I do feel like I slipped under the radar of school staff, due a lack of training around mental health at the time, as well as a lack of awareness of disorders that are now more widely recognised and discussed today.
For context, I attended primary school between 2006 - 2013, and during those years, I was not aware of any mental health intervention, or any emotional well-being support from the school - I never even once heard a mention of ‘mental health’.
I thought the struggles I faced, and the crippling anxiety I went through everyday was just… life? I knew I behaved differently, but it was always passed off as something I'd grow out of.
I look back now and think - how devastating is it that I had to spend my primary school days that way?
These issues that were present from the beginning of primary school, followed me into secondary school and are still there today as a young adult.
While things have progressed slightly as I’ve gotten older and my emotional intelligence has grown, I find myself having to come to terms with the way my brain works, undoubtedly shaped by my childhood experiences.
It’s like my brain has lots of tangled wires, and I now spend my adult life unpicking them one by one. If I'd had a service like Bridge the Gap when I was younger, the wires may have never got tangled in the first place.
The wires may have started to deviate from time to time, but Bridge the Gap would have given me the tools to put them back on the right path.
Early mental health intervention is important. Emotional intelligence is important. The earlier we start emotional education the better.
The work Bridge the Gap does means that children get to learn about emotions whilst their brains are still developing. A world of emotional literacy equals better communicators, better thinkers, better tolerance to life’s ups and downs, and a world of children who believe in themselves.
Not only that, but they provide support to the families of children as well. Back in 2012, my parents would have benefited greatly from the support of Bridge the Gap when they had no one to turn to. They would have had access to a wealth of resources on school-based anxiety, self-esteem and even adult well-being - it’s not just about children.
Moreover, I am shocked when I look back on my school years and realise that it wasn’t until my later years of secondary school that mental health intervention even became a conversation. To this day I am still disturbed by the comments that were made to me by teachers as far back as year 2.
After a mentally exhausting day at school, Bridge the Gap would have provided me with a sanctuary; a place where I could unwind and talk to a trusted adult outside of my family.
The fact that Bridge the Gap go into schools and train staff on emotional literacy is a massive step in the right direction - it makes little me feel seen.
There is one quote by Jennifer that really sums up the mission of Bridge the Gap: “We teach our children to swim so that they don’t drown in deep water. Teaching our children about emotions doesn’t prevent difficult things happening, it teaches them how to emotionally swim.”
It was after I read this quote that I truly understood what Bridge the Gap do. Your child doesn’t have to be experiencing any mental struggles in the present moment, but teaching them about emotions early gives them the tools to ‘emotionally swim’ when life eventually does throw hurdles at us.
Bridge the Gap have a programme called 'Growing Minds', which is a six-week 1:1 service exactly for this purpose. Growing Minds is designed for children experiencing mild challenges or beginning to show early signs of struggle with things like anxiety, confidence, anger etc. This programme is so important as it can teach your child to 'emotionally swim' before the storm.
If I'd been taught to ‘emotionally swim’ in those critical years, I would have been able to regulate those big emotions I felt day-to-day, understand my unique strengths better, and carry that knowledge with me all the way to adulthood.
There would certainly be a few less tangled wires up there that’s for sure.
From one young person to the parent of an even younger person - invest in those swimming lessons now, it’s too important not to.
Louisa
Comments