The Blues Programme
The Blues Programme gives young people the tools to look after their emotional wellbeing
The Blues Programme is an internationally acclaimed wellbeing programme for young people aged 13-19. Over six weeks, it teaches emotional resilience, and reduces low mood and anxious thoughts. Crucially, it gets teenagers talking.
On average, every classroom in Britain has three children with a diagnosable mental health illness. So far, we’ve delivered The Blues Programme in over 350 schools, to more than 13,100 young people.
- 77% of students say it improved their confidence.
- 68% of students say it improved their relationships with family and friends.
- 69% of students say it improved their relationships in school.
- 73% of students say it improved their self-esteem.
- 72% of students say it improved their involvement in learning.
- 78% feel comfortable talking about their mental health.
- 95% would recommend Blues to one of their friends.
Blues involves a one-hour group session at school each week, plus home tasks. Students learn how to challenge negative thoughts, and talk about different coping strategies.
Regular group work builds rapport and confidence. The home tasks are a chance to practise the new skills. It’s simple, and it works.
Supporting mental health and wellbeing is a big part of what we do. We help young people talk about how they’re feeling, and make sure they don’t feel alone.
Programmes are run by trained Action for Children Blues specialists. Here's what's involved.
- Eligible school, colleges or sixth forms sign up.
- Students aged 13-19 fill out the Blues survey.
- The survey identifies students who will benefit from the programme.
- The six-week group programme begins (one hour/week).
- After the programme, the programme leader evaluates and share results.
Want to discuss brining The Blues Programme to your area?
England:
Worcestershire, Wirral /Merseyside, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Kernow Connect (Cornwall)
Wales:
North Wales – Welsh Language delivery available, South Wales
Scotland: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Moray Sonas, South Lanarkshire, Ayrshire / Lanarkshire, Orkney, Outer Hebrides, Inverclyde
Channel Islands:
Guernsey
Our existing Blues teams are either funded through local authorities, pupil equity fund or through voluntary income through charitable trusts and corporate partners.
Are you interested in donating to support the growth of Blues in existing areas or rolling out to new locations? Get in touch.
Thank you very much on behalf of the school for putting together the programme. It has made a lot of difference amongst a lot of pupils - they speak highly of facilitators.
A teacher from a school
I think it’s really good because it’s very non-judgemental and it’s really fun because you get to relax and talk about anything.
A pupil from a school
The Blues is something I look forward to because its like a pause during the stressful school day for me to reflect on how I’m feeling and how I can help myself.
A pupil from a school
