08/01/2009
Following the selection of mental health as the cause of choice for the Aspect national award this year, Aspect has chosen The Place2Be as the charity to receive the annual £100,000 award.
The Place2Be is committed to supporting and rehabilitating troubled, unhappy children in schools. They focus on children in 128 primary schools nationwide, providing a caring and sensitive place where the children can express their feelings through creative work and play.
Children come to The Place2Be for a variety of reasons from parental bereavement, drug and alcohol related problems, domestic violence, bullying, deprivation and neglect. Such experiences can result in anti-social behaviour, low self-esteem or difficult peer relationships leading to social exclusion – in fact 90% of young offenders have had mental health problems as a child.
The Place2Be believes that intervening early to support a child with mental health problems significantly reduces the prospect of that child developing behavioural problems and effectively being condemned to a life in and out of institutions, benefitting children, families and the wider community.
Aspect is delighted to support such a worthwhile cause in 2009.