Young people’s mental health media project shortlisted for National Award

Rochdale and District Mind

One in 10 young people in the UK experience mental health problems. The mental health charity Rochdale and District Mind is at the forefront locally to develop new and innovative way to support young people who have mental health problems and get mental health issues on the political and social agenda.

Rochdale and District Mind through funding from Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group established the 'Listen Up' young people’s project in 2013.

One of the partnerships the 'Listen Up' Project forged is with Manchester College students at the Shena Simon campus, who in early 2014 created seven short adverts about the work of Rochdale and District Mind and the 'Listen Up' Project, targeting a youth audience to help reduce the stigma attached to mental health issues, and encouraging young people to talk about it.

The adverts produced by the students for Rochdale and District Mind have been shortlist for the Anna Sargent Award in the Student Journalist category for the Mind 2014 Media Awards.

Mind received hundreds of entries to its media awards this year which honour powerful media portrayals and reporting of mental health problems. Shortlisted entries will be judged by a panel of media industry experts on criteria including whether the entry challenges common perceptions of mental health, is well-crafted and responsibly produced, safe for intended audiences and reaching new audiences.

Richard Evans, media tutor at The Manchester College said: “This is a fantastic. The students were very good at getting to grips with the issues, particularly indentifying those issues relating to young people and the production and quality of the final product was so very high, it’s great to get this recognition.”

”Tricia Hornby, Chief Executive of Rochdale and District Mind, said: “The 'Listen Up' project is about connecting with young people, so these adverts made by young people for young people to be distributed via social media is such an innovative idea.” 

The final judging and winners will be announced at a grand ceremony held at the British Film Institute, on the Westbank in London on the 17 November 2014. Representatives from the College, including three of the student producers will be attending alongside a representative from Rochdale and District Mind.