Why are we campaigning for equal support for mental health and physical health?

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2 This pack encourages Cubs to become mental health campaigners. Using craftivism (craft and activism), Cubs will create a unique petition asking MPs (or MLAs if you are in Northern Ireland, MSPs if you are in Scotland or AMs if you are in Wales) what they re doing to make the support available for mental health equal to the support already available for physical health. Together with other Scout Groups working on mental health as their A Million Hands issue, you ll send your petition to your MP during the week of the 21 April By taking part, Cubs will raise awareness, make a positive difference to people in their community and reaffirm the message that everyone has mental, as well as physical health. This pack has everything you need to support your Pack to take part in this Big Moment. Why Mental Health? In 2015, Scouts chose mental health as one of four A Million Hands campaign issues. Anyone can experience a mental health problem: one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. You can use this pack to start a discussion about mental health with your Cubs. You don t have to be an expert to talk about mental health, but for more information visit mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-healthproblems/mental-health-problems-introduction. Why are we campaigning for equal support for mental health and physical health? If you broke your arm, you d go to the hospital, have an X-ray it and get it plastered. If you have a mental health problem things aren t as straightforward. Two thirds of people with mental health problems don t receive any treatment or support. Mental health services don t get enough government funding and many people wait months for help. What is craftivism? Craftivism is a gentle form of activism using crafts to campaign. It uses the quiet time spent crafting to explore the impact of an injustice. To help with your craftivism, each activity in this pack has crafterthoughts questions to help you pause and explore the issues.

3 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 Look out for an about World Mental Health Day Understand the Issue Make a stress ball with your Cub Scouts to start the conversation. Understand the Issue Understanding equality 10 October: World Mental Health Day March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 Plan Action Make a creative petition with your Cub Scouts using plasters. Take Action April Send your petition to your local MP using this handy template: bit.ly/mpletterte mplate Tell the World Tell the community about what you have been doing. Learn and Do More Use postcards to help the Cub Scouts reflect on what they have done and to think about what the Pack could do in the future.

4 Overview: Create a stress ball with your Cub Scouts and talk about what stress is. Use the crafterthought questions to discuss with Cubs the inequality between the support available for mental and physical health. Outcome: Cubs will learn more about stress, and will be aware of the inequality between the support available for mental and physical health. Time: 1 hour Equipment: Balloons, filling (flour, corn starch, dry rice or lentils), plastic bottles or funnels, scissors, pens or markers Linked badges: Activity instructions: 1. To make a stress ball with your Cubs, you'll need approximately ⅔ to 1 cup of filling, for a typical palm-sized stress ball. 2. Blow up the balloon slightly (optional) to about 7cm across and then pinch the neck shut without tying it. 3. Stick a funnel into the balloon s neck and slowly fill the balloon 5-7cm deep. 4. Remove the funnel from the balloon and let out as much air as you can. Tie the neck of the balloon tightly. 5. Cut off the dangling end of the balloon. 6. Decorate. 7. This is a good activity to do in small groups with Cub Scouts helping each other to carefully fill the balloons. Crafterthoughts While making the stress ball, remind your Cubs that everyone has mental and physical health, and ask them the following questions: 1. Who makes decisions at home? How about at school? Who would you have to convince if you wanted to change something? For example, who would you need to convince to let you have ice cream for lunch? 2. Do you know who makes decisions for the community? Explain to the Cubs that we have people called MPs who work locally in your neighborhoods to make decisions and who speak to the Prime Minister. Explain that in the Plan Action activity, you will be looking at sending something to your local MP to get their attention.

5 3. Ask the Cubs how they can make the crafts engaging and attract your MP attention? After making the stress ball, introduce the concept of equality between physical and mental health by asking the following questions. What happens when someone is injured or hurt? What happens when you re feeling sad or scared? Are they the same? Who is responsible for making sure resources and people are in place for mental health and physical health? Who helps them? **note** Don t worry if you or your Pack don t know the answers to one or all of these questions. These can be difficult to answer, and it is important for you and your Pack to not feel embarrassed if you are not sure what the answer is. The aim of these questions is simply to highlight that while we know what to do when someone is physically hurt, things aren t as straightforward when someone has a mental health problem. **note** If Cubs share their own mental health problems let them know they can talk to you afterwards. Young Minds have some excellent resources for young people if you need them: youngminds.org.uk. Try and facilitate the session so that it is not focusing on personal mental health problems but how we campaign for equality.

6 Overview: This activity introduces Cub Scouts to the idea that mental and physical health should be treated equally. Outcome: Cub Scouts will be aware of the inequality between the support available for mental health problems and the support available for physical health problems. The will understand that it can be harder to access support for mental health problems. Time: 30 minutes Equipment: Cardboard boxes and pens/markers Linked badges: Activity instructions: 1. On each cardboard box, write a source of support available for physical and mental health. Some you might want to include are family, doctor, hospital, friends, school and social media. 2. Read out one item from the below list by saying, Where do you go when Cub Scouts need to run towards the appropriate cardboard box* and then talk through why they chose that one and if there could be any others. 3. The aim is that by the end of the session Cubs should understand that while it s pretty easy to know what to do when we feel physically unwell, it s much harder to know what to do when we experience a mental health problem. you have a broken arm your mind is really busy with lots of thoughts you have a cough you feel down, upset or tearful you have a headache you feel tense, nervous and on edge you have stomach pain you feel lonely you ve sprained your ankle you feel angry or irritable *Other options: This activity could also be done with tennis or paper balls. The Beavers indicate which box they ve chosen by throwing the ball into the cardboard boxes. Alternatively, to make it even more active, you could print out pictures of sources of support available and ask Beavers to run to the picture they thought of first.

7 *note* It s important for you and your Cubs not to feel embarrassed if you re not sure what the answer is. The aim of this exercise is simply to highlight that while we know what to do when someone is physically hurt, things aren t as straightforward when someone has a mental health problem. **note** If Cubs share their own mental health problems let them know they can talk to you afterwards. Visit youngminds.org.uk/ for some excellent resources for young people if you need them. Try and facilitate the session so that it s not focusing on personal mental health problems.

8 Overview: Cubs create an eye-catching unusual petition calling for their MP to pledge to make the support for mental health equal to the support already available for physical health. Outcome: Cubs understand the impact of petitions and that MPs are there to serve their local community. Time: 1 hour Equipment: Large fabric plasters, various colours of thick embroidery thread (6 strands in each thread, not a cotton reel), colouring pencils, felt tips, needles, glitter, sequins Linked badges: Guidance Note: Health is a devolved issue which means that the powers from the UK Parliament are now held by the Northern Ireland and Welsh Assemblies and the Scottish Parliament. To make sure your petition is seen by those who can effect change in your country when the guide talks about MP if you are in Northern Ireland it is your MLA, in Scotland it is your MSP and in Wales it is your AM. Activity instructions: 1. Introduce the idea of a petition by explaining that a petition is something with signatures that can be sent to your MP to try and get them to change something. If a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for a debate in parliament. If it reaches 10,000 signatures, you ll get a response from the government. But even sending one petition to your local MP should receive a response. 2. Ask Cubs if they have signed or seen a petition. Here s an example of one from Mind: bit.ly/2ti2gt9 3. Explain to the Cubs that they are going to be creating a petition to send to your local MP. They will be doing this at the same time as other Cubs who have chosen mental health as their A Million Hands issue. 4. If possible, this activity should be done outside in the community for example in a park or library. By doing it in a community space, you will be able to engage more people in the petition and have a greater impact. 5. Hand out a plaster to each Cub. Explain that we are using plasters to highlight that when people hurt themselves physically, they can get a plaster. However, if they need help with their mental health there aren t the same things available. 6. To create a petition, each Cub should add their signature to the plaster. Encourage them to have fun practicing their signatures on some paper first. Explain that signatures are important as they identify you as you! 7. Once they are ready, Cubs should write their signatures onto the plasters. They can then decorate around their signatures on the plasters with different craft materials. Challenge them to make the plasters look eyecatching for the MP. If your Cubs are feeling confident, challenge them to backstitch onto the plaster.

9 Here s an example of what signed plasters might look like: When everyone is finished, collect the plasters and keep them somewhere safe. During the activity: Take lots of photos you ll need them to Tell the World in May. If you have a Young Leader, why not ask them to take the lead on photographing the Cubs creating their plasters? Crafterthoughts During the activity, ask your Cubs the following questions to think through while they are creating their petition plaster. We ve given you some hints to help the conversation. 1. How can you make your plaster attract your MPs attention? Perhaps by decorating the envelope it s sent in or inviting them to meet you. 2. What will encourage your MP to pledge to make the support available for mental health equal to the support already available for physical health? For example, encouraging other local people to show they care about this issue on social media, or getting more people to sign the petition, or gaining local media support. 3. What other ways are there to create positive change for mental health equality? For example, marches, campaign events, campaign performances, celebrity support, using hashtags on social media etc. If you have a County Media Development Manager, contact them and discuss how they can help you with local media work. Monitor the local news for any press coverage and record it. If you don t have a County Media Development Manager, please contact the Scout Media Team on or communications@scouts.org.uk.

10 Overview: Cubs will use their petition to contact and engage their MP. Outcome: Cubs will know how to contact and engage their MP and know that MPs should respond to them. Time: 1 hour Equipment: MP letter template (attached), signed plasters, packaging (e.g. envelopes, box, plasters box, first aid kit etc, whatever you think!), ribbons, coloured pens and papers, scissors. Linked badges: Activity instructions: 1. Bring a selection of packaging options for Cubs to choose from to send their petition to their MP in. Remind Cubs that they want to capture their MP s attention. 2. Find out who your MP (England)/MLA (Northern Ireland)/MSP (Scotland)/AM (Wales) is using the constituency address of your meeting place. 3. Using the template provided, prepare your letter to your MP (preferably handwritten) and read it together with your Cubs to agree everyone is happy with it. 4. As the Pack s leader, put your contact name along with your meeting place address (in the MP s constituency) for the response to go to. 5. End the session with a Pack photo that includes the package (ideally in front of a post box/post office). 6. If you have a County Media Development Manager, contact them and discuss how they can help you with local media work. Monitor the local news for any press coverage and record it. If you don t have a County Media Development Manager, please contact the Scout Media Team on or communications@scouts.org.uk. 7. Use social media using the hashtag #AMillionHands to share content, blogs, and vlogs. Here are some examples of social media posts (don t forget to post a photo too): Twitter: Our Cubs sending their petition to [insert MP s name or Twitter handle] asking for #mentalhealth support to be equal to physical health support #AMillionHands Facebook: [Insert Cub Pack name] chose mental health as their A Million Hands issue to focus on. Here they are sending their petition to our local [insert MP s name] asking for mental health support to be made equal to physical health support. [Attach photo]

11 Instagram: [Insert Cub Pack name] are sending out their petition to their local MP asking for mental health support to be made equal to physical health support. #AMillionHands #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #Scouts #socialaction Optional To make your petition even more impactful you might want to: Invite members of the local community to add their names to the petition. Invite your MP to the meeting to receive the package in person. Remember to take photos if this happens!

12 Overview: Reflect with your Cubs on what you have been doing so far and what the next steps are. Outcome: Cubs understand mental health and know that more needs to be done to provide good support for mental health problems. Cubs commit to taking one of the actions below. Time: 1 hour Equipment: Blank postcards and pens Linked badges: Activity instructions: 1. Hand out postcards to the Cubs. 2. Cubs can decorate the postcards if they want to. 3. On the postcards ask them to write: One thing they ve learnt about mental health so far One thing they re going to do as a result of what they ve learnt For example, ask other people how they feel, or tell someone else about their petition and what they have learnt. 4. Ask Cubs to put their name and address on the postcards and you can either post them back (or give them back) a few weeks later, so they can think about whether they remember the session and have made that change. The session can be as creative as you like, with pictures representing learning and activities.

13 Overview: Cubs tell their community about their craftivist petition they made and the difference they hope to make. Outcome: The community knows Cubs care about mental health and that support for mental health problems needs to be equal to the support already available for physical health problems. Time: 1 hour to prepare, 1 hour to present Equipment: Photos, crafterthoughts notes, copies of any vlogs/blogs, clippings from local newspapers, response from your local politician, pens, papers Linked badges: Activity instructions: 1. Create a display with your Cubs in your meeting place of their postcards and photos of their plasters. 2. Design invitations to invite members of the community to come and see the display. For instance, your local politician, friends, family, and your local Mind (so you can show them how you got on). 3. Hold a celebration event showcasing your display. Maybe invite your guests to reflect on the crafterthoughts in this pack and ask them the one thing they re going to commit to do as a result of what they ve learnt. 4. Can you think about other ways to tell the world? For example at a District event. 5. On the way out of your event, ask each guest to write on a Post-it note one thing they have learnt from your display, or one thing they are going to do differently. Provide them with a box to put these notes in. 6. After the event let your Cubs look through the notes to see their impact. Record your action and get your wristbands - If you haven t done it yet, please go to amillionhands.org.uk and record your action. - Send us an at scouts@mind.org.uk with a picture of you posting your petition or meeting your local politician to get your free mental health wristband. Please remember to include your name, your Cub Pack s name, the number of Cubs in your Pack, your address and postcode.

14 About the organisations involved in this action Mind Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. It provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, and campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. It works in partnership with 147 local Minds to provide services tailored to their community. Mind won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. Mind s info line is open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays). Telephone: info@mind.org.uk Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) SAMH is dedicated to mental health and wellbeing for all. Its vision is of a society where people are able to live their lives fully, regardless of present or past circumstances. Its values underpin everything we do. SAMH believes that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity, respect and equality. It believes that everyone is entitled to hope and choice and to achieve personal fulfillment. Around since 1923, SAMH currently operates over 60 services in communities across Scotland, providing support relating to mental health social care, homelessness, addictions and employment services, among other issues. Website: samh.org.uk/information/contact-us Telephone: Inspire Inspire (the new name for Niamh, the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health), is a charity and social enterprise based in Northern Ireland focusing on promoting wellbeing for all through mental health, learning disability, addiction and professional wellbeing services, locally and across the island of Ireland. It wants to build a flourishing society in which all people have access to services and support appropriate to their mental health and wellbeing needs. Website: inspirewellbeing.org/contact-us Telephone: Central office (0044) Craftivist Collective Activism often conjures up quick transactional signing of petitions, clicktivism, or loud and aggressive ways to demand justice. Craftivist Collective mission is simple: We believe craft can be a tool for gentle activism. By using the quiet, reflective time craftivism gives us to explore injustice issues and how they affect the world around us, we can create something beautiful, considered, positive and potentially world-changing that creates critical thinking, conversation, connection and change in many different ways.