Blackpool FC Community Trust column: Armfield Academy are top of the class at Bloomfield Road

Pupils from Armfield Academy, Montgomery Academy, Unity Academy, South Shore Academy and Highfield Leadership Academy all took part in the event, held in the Mahou Lounge at Bloomfield Road.

Premier League Inspires is a 15-week, positive mental health and resilience programme which is delivered once a week to selected year nine pupils across Blackpool.

The primary focus is to help young people reach their potential by ensuring they are inspired, engaged and develop the coping strategies to support them through the challenges of life.

This year’s challenge was all about raising awareness of the impact body image has on our mental health and how we can better safeguard ourselves from negative and unrealistic stereotypes we see online and in the media.

Pupils were tasked to come up with a social action project to support their local community, school and Blackpool FC.

The schools arrived bright and early to set up their areas in a market stall-styled event.

Having worked in their sessions at school, supported by BFCCT staff members, pupils presented their social action ideas to students from Blackpool FC Sports College, BFCCT staff and broader partners, Beaverbrooks and NatWest.

Visitors were asked to engage and give feedback on project ideas, scoring the pupils across three key areas: presentation and communication, overall project design and knowledge and understanding.

Pupils presented a wide range of well-thought-out concepts and ideas to support gender equality in their school, football club and broader community.

Learners took turns to present their ideas and answer questions from our staff and scholars, who challenged and encouraged them throughout the process.

It’s fair to say our guests were amazed by the creative ideas being showcased.

When the pupils arrived to present their ideas, it was apparent that many felt anxious, uneasy and apprehensive about leaving the comfort of their classrooms.

However, after their first interaction, their confidence grew and they spoke passionately, sincerely and thoughtfully about their social action projects.

The staff who were there to support the pupils were impressed by how they gained the courage to present and share their ideas with conviction.

Having articulated their ideas with consistent enthusiasm and energy, pupils eagerly awaited the results.

Once the votes had been counted, it was time to announce the winners with our eventual winners being Armfield Academy.

They created a wellbeing application for iOS and Android phones, which allows users to answer a questionnaire to understand their mental wellbeing.

That, in turn, provides tips and prompts throughout the day for brain and movement breaks, social time and other things linked directly to improving mental health.

They will now work closely with BFCCT staff to undertake their social action project, acting on their idea and documenting this throughout to show how their journey unfolds.

In April, they will attend Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium where they will present their findings to partners and peers from other football clubs taking part in the Premier League Inspires programme.