Napthens Foundation raises £10,000 to pay for mental health lessons for schools in Preston and Blackpool

The money raised was used to fund the delivery of programmes from children’s mental wellbeing curriculum myHappymind at Our Lady’s and St Edward’s Catholic Primary School in Preston, as well as Christ the King Catholic Academy and St Cuthbert’s Catholic Academy in Blackpool.

myHappymind, partnered with Ronald McDonald House, is an NHS-backed organisation which helps primary schools, nurseries and families to create a positive mental wellbeing culture.

More than 680 children have benefited from Napthen’s support so far, and they have plans underway to fund programs in two more schools in the coming months.

Laura Earnshaw at myHappymind said: “The donation received from the Napthens Foundation has been essential in allowing us access into local primary schools to educate the pupils’ on the importance of their mental health and wellbeing. Our programme works to build the children’s self-esteem during their crucial development years, allowing them to take these lessons into later life and excel.”

Funds were generated by the Napthens team through a variety of activities across their six offices in Merseyside, Cumbria and Lancashire, including a trainee walk that raised more than £5,000, bake sales in the firm’s Preston offices, a firmwide raffle, monthly ‘dress down days’, and staff also made regular monthly contributions from their salary.

Launched in May 2021, the Napthens Foundation provides relief to those in need by way of education, youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantages.

As well as supporting local schools, on International Women’s Day the Napthens Foundation also made a £1,000 donation to the Red Cross in support of families in Ukraine.

Nicola Mason, HR and Operations Director at Napthens, and Napthens Foundation committee member, said: “At Napthens we strive to strengthen relationships not only with those we work with, but across the many communities our people are a part of and have an active interest in. The Foundation’s first year has been a real success and is making a difference to hundreds of children in the region and beyond. We’re already looking towards supporting more schools in the coming months.”

Donations to Napthens foundation can be made here.