A timely award for our work to improve children’s life chances

Here at the Human Values Foundation (HVF) we have started a community blog series. We are asking Members and Friends of the HVF to share a story about one of their experiences related to the HVF and how it demonstrates the life-enriching potential of living our values.

Fifth in our series is a story that shows when your heart is in the right place, things fall into place – but sometimes in unexpected ways! This story is from the Human Values Foundation CEO, Rosemary Dewan. For Rosemary this story captures the values of Responsibility and Helping Others.

We have received a very timely award from the Social Enterprise Support Fund, distributed by UnLtd, that will help us advance our work that supports schools in enabling their pupils to fulfil their true potential, not only academically but also as engaged, informed young citizens.

Covid-19 has had profound effects on children and brought into sharp relief, the need for them to be able to manage their wellbeing effectively, including their mental and physical health.  However, many teachers want to be more confident in handling the social and emotional dimensions of children’s lives - and this is exactly how we can help.  

The funding will go towards creating another 32 fully-resourced lesson kits for our Personal Development and Wellbeing programme, THE BIG THINK (TBT), for ages 5 to 11.  These modules will provide schools with additional practical materials and techniques so that they can systematically nurture their pupils’ social and emotional competencies. TBT empowers learners by helping them find their voice, develop personal qualities, and capitalise on their talents and interests. Both teachers and parents delight in seeing the children flourish and achieve more as they master essential life skills, gain knowledge and explore the world around them.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, a shift was beginning to take place in the education landscape with a move away from the intense focus on academic outcomes towards broader, more balanced provision that better prepares the emerging generation for life in the modern world. The fresh teaching resources we will supply will align closely with the new expectations for primary schools as they start the mandatory teaching of Relationships and Health Education.  This holistic approach has always been central to our work.

Having provided values-themed, life skills programmes that have made systemic differences to schools for the past 25 years, during the coming months we look forward to releasing these new resources and conducting online teacher training.  Workshops will be offered to share our experience and build up teachers’ expertise in delivering the statutory social and emotional aspects of children’s education. 

All this means that early on in their school careers, young citizens will benefit from learning how to keep mentally healthy, and form and maintain good, supportive relationships at home, in school and in their wider communities.

The longer-term effects of this work could help to reduce the need for mental health remedial work, lessen crime and improve children’s life chances.

 We are grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund, its partners in the Social Enterprise Support Fund, and National Lottery players for making this possible.