Mental Health

Context

1 in every 10 children has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem yet 70% do not receive appropriate interventions at a young enough age.

It is thought that half of all longer term mental health conditions are established by the age of 14. Children from low income families are 4 times as likely to suffer from a mental health condition than those from higher income families.

A 2016 report into mental health amongst children in London found:

- Nearly 40,000 children suffer with anxiety

- Over 10,000 children experience depression

- Just under 19,000 children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

- Over 68,000 children have conduct disorder (a serious behavioural and emotional disorder)

Suicide is the largest cause of mortality in young people.

Our Impact

It is commonly acknowledged that sport and physical activity has a positive effect on mental health. It:

- Improves mood

- Boosts confidence

- Improves concentration

- Reduces stress and depression

- Improves sleep quality

- Provides a means for socialisation

The Platform Cricket programme works with cricket mental health charity Opening Up in order to prepare staff to identify and support mental health issues amongst our participants.

We are firmly committed to pastoral support and the emotional development of our participants, as well as their cricketing progress.

We utilise the Warwick-Edinburgh Questionnaire amongst our "Pop Up" Club participants and are immensely proud that 95% recorded an improvement over the course of their first year of involvement with the scheme.