A woman has set up a six-week class for young girls from across Hull and the surrounding areas to improve self-confidence and mental wellbeing, which will begin in January.
Melissa Green, 29, has witnessed first-hand how social media can affect young girls’ mental health when working as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) at a school in Liverpool. So, she decided to trial the ‘Ditto’ classes at Brough Methodist Church after moving to the area.
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She said: “There were so many kids in our secondary school, about 1,600 pupils, and so many kids were not even able to enjoy any part of education because their mental health was overwhelming them and I think especially through the pandemic it’s got even worse.
“I’ve chosen girls with being female myself and we see it all over social media at the minute, it’s massive. When you look at the filters on Instagram, all the influencers that are out there now, girls in particular are just finding that path through teenage life really difficult and their self-esteem is rock bottom.
“Even as a teacher myself, I’ve seen girls in year seven create Instagram pages with all completely photo shopped pictures making their waist look smaller, making their face look smaller, making their lips look bigger, self harming because they think they’re ugly and it’s just devastating.”
This classes will provide a chance to make new friends and chat to other girls in similar situations, while allowing girls to get creative with fun crafts and projects to boost self-confidence in a relaxed environment.
Trainee counsellor and assistant SENCO, Ms Green, is fully insured and CRB checked and has set up her own mental health service called ‘The Box of Emotions,’ which will run the ‘Ditto’ classes.
“New statistics have come out that say one in six secondary age students now have a mental health problem, which is just crazy.
“The likelihood in the last two years of people having a mental health problem has increased by 50%, so it’s jumped up massively.
“People want to access the mental health support, but they don’t want to go to their GPs or go down a medical route when it comes to mental health, so I just think it needs to be more out there for people to access.”
The Ditto classes will take place at Brough Methodist Church on Thursdays from 5pm till 6pm and there will be spaces for ten girls, aged 11 to 15, to sign up.
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“I’m just hoping that in the same concept of the ‘Me Too’ movement they come and realise that they’re not on their own first of all, it’s a chance to actually come together because there’s so many girls who feel this way but not talking to anyone about it.
“They all just talk to their friends and act like everything’s fine then go home and really struggle with it.
“I just want to create a small community where these girls find they have something in common and they’re not on their own in feeling this way.
“Secondly, just to boost their confidence so they can see there’s more to what makes you beautiful and amazing than just what you see on social media or what other people say about you,” she said.
(Image: The Box of Emotions)
The classes start on January 13, 2022, and will run for six weeks, costing £30.
Anyone interested in signing up to the classes can direct message @theboxofemotions on Instagram or contact Melissa through theboxofemotions@outlook.com.
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