The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Annette Mackenzie, welcomed some very special guests to her parlour for afternoon tea on Tuesday 9 February. Charlie and Xavier, talented young artists and pupils at Solihull schools, were two of the deserving winners of a competition run by Solihull Council and the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust to design postcards on the theme of wellbeing. They were also joined by Frances George, one of the trustees from the Trust.
The postcards were sent to every school and college with pupils in key stages 3, 4 and 5 in the borough in time for Children’s Mental Health Week, (9-15 February). Charlie and Xavier’s winning designs will help to spread a message of positivity and support to children and young people who might be struggling with their mental health and wellbeing.
The Mayor sat on the judging panel alongside a representative from Solihull Council’s Children’s Services Education team and Solar, a partnership between Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Barnardo’s and Autism West Midlands which provides emotional wellbeing and mental health services to children, young people and families in Solihull.
On the day, the winners were presented with a framed print of their design, vouchers (provided by Kooth, Solar and the Solihull Safeguarding Children’s Partnership), and a certificate recognising their achievement. The judging panel praised the exceptionally high standard of the more than 70 entries submitted. Kooth, one of the voucher sponsors, offers free online mental health support and counselling for 11–25‑year‑olds, providing an accessible source of wellbeing support for young people across the borough.
The Mayor spoke warmly about the competition and the impact it might have – “I was taken aback by quite how good the standard was. It was really difficult to narrow it down to a shortlist, never mind pick the winners. Charlie, Xavier, and Sarah – who sadly couldn’t come to tea, really did stand out though with their incredibly thoughtful and creative designs. I hope the children and young people who see these postcards take a moment to think about the powerful message of support that they represent.”