Action for Children and RGC celebrate Bouncing Back Extra partnership

Action for Children has celebrated its Bouncing Back Extra mental health partnership with Rygbi Gogledd Cymru (RGC) with an event at Abergele Rugby Club. 150 Ysgol Sant Elfod primary school children joined the celebrations and were treated to rugby sessions, physical exercise and games as well as mental health workshops.

The charity teamed up with the rugby region to deliver a combination of classroom-based Cognitive and Dialectical behavioural therapy (CBT and DBT) techniques and physical exercises such as touch rugby on the playground.

Shan Jones manages the Bouncing Back Extra programme for Action for Children in the region and said: It’s been a great year delivering Bouncing Back Extra in Ysgol Sant Elfod primary school, with 150 children benefitting from the programme.  It was so important we got together to celebrate our achievements with a day of fun-packed action.  The children have engaged so enthusiastically to everything we’ve done and demonstrated the skills and coping skills we’ve taught them.  To celebrate in this way was wonderful, I’ve loved our partnership with RGC and long may it continue.’

Christine Lunt, deputy head at Ysgol Sant Elfod, reflected on the course and said: ‘The children have absolutely enjoyed it, they’ve been so engaged with the project and loved the Wednesdays when Shan and Kara were coming in.  They’ve picked up so many strategies to help them with resilience and perseverance as well as how to make themselves calm.  It’s been a great package and beneficial with staff and pupils enjoying it.  I’d highly recommend it to others.’

Chris Meyers from the WRU who helped coordinate the physical aspect of the programme, said: ‘The course has been really good, and we’ve linked well with the indoor sessions taking it outside for the sport element.  Rugby’s a really good sport to link in with the values it has and the kids have really enjoyed it.  The combination is massive and gives them the platform to learn froma different avenue as well as a bit of a break from the norm.  it’s gets them outside to burn a bit of energy so when they go back into the class they can think better.’

Mira, (10) a Sant Elfod pupil said: ‘I think it’s good.  It helps kids build things like resilience and courage,’ with classmate, Sam (11), adding: ‘I think it’s been really helpful and at the same time it was fun because we had games, but it taught us how to build resilience and how to be less anxious.  It’s been really nice to have the celebration because it’s been so much fun.’