Well Together has funded the charity AT The Bus to provide transformational, school-based art as therapy to children and young people aged 5-16 who have a range of complex social and emotional needs and are struggling with their mental wellbeing.
Their work builds self-esteem, confidence and independence through creativity, supporting improved educational, behavioural and relationship outcomes. One pupil, returning to class after an AT The Bus session, said to their teacher, “I hadn’t realised how much I needed that. I really needed that.”
A channel to express their feelings
One headteacher reported that, “AT The Bus has provided a platform for our students to explore their creativity and express their emotions through art, which has been instrumental in building their confidence and self-esteem. Students who may struggle with traditional academic tasks find success and recognition in their artistic endeavours, which translates to a more positive self-image.”
Meeting a growing need
With young people’s mental health being a significant and growing concern in the UK, specialist organisations like AT The Bus are needed more than ever. The impact that such positive interventions have is clear from what is said by school students and staff say about the sessions.
One deputy headteacher said, “[Following the AT The Bus sessions] we now have a group of very confident young people… who now have hope for themselves for the future. Because of this they have been able to apply to college – something that did not seem feasible before they attended these sessions.”
Offering sessions such as those run by AT The Bus shows children and young people that adults hear their anxieties and stresses, and take them seriously. They want to offer support, care and an interest-based sense of belonging within their neighbourhoods.
Well Together is delivered in partnership by OCVA and Community First Oxfordshire. The Programme is funded by the NHS Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.
