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Hello! We celebrated 5 years of Make (Good) Trouble with a party – thanks to everyone who joined us! For those who don’t know our story, we began as Brighton5, aiming to reduce mental ill health in young people. Whilst that aim hasn’t changed, we’ve grown hugely in the last five years.

Au revoir Lola Ray!

We also said a fond farewell to Lola Ray who’s off on her travels for a year or so. She spoke to us before she left about her time at Make (Good) Trouble and what she’s learnt along the way. It was a lovely discussion.
👉 Read the interview with Lola here.

In the news:

Schools face rise in violence and behaviour issues 

There’s been a marked increase in violence and behaviour issues reported in schools, with more young people staying home from school, or just not attending lessons. The Guardian reported that, “Unmet special needs, mental health issues and persistent post-pandemic absence are all creating tensions in schools, which can result in breaches of the behaviour code.” (The Guardian: Headteachers in England tell of worsening behaviour of pupils – and parents.)

We believe that more investment and support should be given to cash-strapped schools with a bigger focus on student wellbeing rather than on exam results. The Sutton Trust reports that underinvestment has resulted in low morale among teachers, cuts to teaching staff, and (perhaps unsurprisingly) difficulty recruiting new staff.

👋 If you need help, take a look at our Help page on Education, exams and school refusal. One great resource is Not Fine in School, which is an organisation set up by parents of children who have experienced school attendance barriers.

📚 If you’re interested in delving deeper into this subject, there’s a fascinating and sobering report by Public First that looks into the reasons behind today’s “attendance crisis”.
Public First: Listening to, and learning from, parents in the attendance crisis.

One in five children and young people had a probable mental health disorder in 2023

New NHS data “found that 20.3% of eight to 16-year-olds had a probable mental disorder in 2023. Among 17 to 19-year-olds, the proportion was 23.3%, while in 20 to 25-year-olds it was 21.7%.” And while these numbers haven’t risen in the past year, they haven’t decreased either, and these figures are clearly far too high. Read the NHS Digital report.

👋 We have plenty of resources to help young people with mental health issues. Our BBC radio series Raising Teens has a wealth of advice and insights. You can find links to all episodes here – they cover everything from anxiety, loneliness and self-harm to cannabis, county lines, and understanding the teenage brain. We have a brand new series coming out in January, so watch this space for news!

💌 Did you know that you can get our round up straight to your inbox every month? Just subscribe here and we’ll do the rest!

MGT News!

There’s still time to sign up for our Winter Holiday Club!

🎭 There are still free places at our 3-day drama Holiday Club this December run by the amazing people at Dragon Drama. Find out more here 👉 Winter Woodland Drama Workshop.

The Catalyst protest banners 

Our latest Catalyst workshop with artist Kerry Lemon (below) was a great success with some amazing protest banners created. We’ll be running new creative workshops in the new year as part of The Catalyst programme.

Happy 40th birthday Hangleton & Knoll Project!

Make (Good) Trouble was commissioned to make a film to celebrate 40 years of the Hangleton & Knoll Project. If you don’t know about this amazing community in Brighton, take a look at the film!

That’s all for this issue. If you have any suggestions or news you think we should include in next month’s round up, please comment below or get in touch. 

💌 Did you know that you can get our round up straight to your inbox every month? Just subscribe here and we’ll do the rest!

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Lola Ray has worked at Make (Good) Trouble for the past five years – since she was 17 – first as a volunteer, and in the last few years as a young reporter and producer. This week we’re saying au revoir to her as she jets off on her travels for the next year or so. 

Before she went, we sat down for a chat about her time with us, and her hopes for the future.  

Can you describe what it was like when you first started working with Make (Good) Trouble – what was your first day like?

It’s been five years since I started working at Make (Good) Trouble (MGT). It’s been two years since I’ve been working on a daily basis. I remember the first day. We were in [MGT co-founder] Daisy’s kitchen, and I didn’t really know anyone apart from Lotti [who is now a Project Manager at MGT], and we had such a fun day. I can’t even remember what we did, but I just remember going home to my mum and I was really buzzing and I said, I’ve just had the most amazing day ever! It’s so cool and we’re doing this and they’ve got all these cool gadgets and stuff. And I was like, oh this feels really right. I knew it wasn’t going to be a job at the time but then whenever there was something happening, I was like, I’m there. I’m doing it. I’m going to be a part of that because it just felt like, first, a thing that was giving back and it felt really good to do that. But also, it was done in such a nice friendly way and it didn’t really feel like work. 

Lola filming with Make (Good) Trouble back in 2018, when we were known as Brighton5.

And then when I started working properly, it was back at Daisy’s house with Lotti, making a film about the Holiday Activity and Food programme for East Sussex County Council. And then we moved to the office and that was like another first day. I feel like I’ve had quite a few first days with MGT because there have been so many iterations of it. It’s been great.

What is the best part of your job?

I think it’s the people. I think us as a team has been amazing. And I think our BBC Raising Teens radio show has to be one of my favourite projects. I mean, there aren’t any negatives to that project at all. I feel like it has some of the biggest outreach as well for us. One of the most powerful interviews I did was for Series 2, with a group of teens and they spoke to me about loneliness, depression and grief. It was really moving.

BBC Sussex Raising Teens presenter Guy Lloyd and teen reporter Lola Ray

Lola with Raising Teens presenter, Guy Lloyd at BBC Radio Sussex

How do you feel you’ve grown within the company? 

So much! Because when I started working with MGT properly, I hadn’t really done much, to be honest. I’d had a couple of jobs, I’d done lots of tele-sales work, but I’ve literally learned everything I know from you guys – from how to do a spreadsheet to what all the acronyms in this industry are! I really feel like I’ve learned about people and the relationships that you have with different organisations or working directly with young people. 

Lola filming for Make (Good) Trouble

I feel like I’ve been able to do a bit of everything, which is really nice, and it’s definitely what I needed to help me to know what I wanted and what I enjoy doing, to be able to have a go at everything to see what works for me, and also getting knowledge in all those areas. I don’t think many people get to do stuff like that. Here, every day is different. 

What next for Lola Ray?

I’ve learnt so much being here for the last two years, but I had delayed my travel plans because of Covid – and I just happened to fall into Make (Good) Trouble after that, which has been amazing – but it’s time for me to go and just not live in Brighton anymore and do something else.

In the future, I don’t know if I’ll go more into production or into mental health. We’ll have to wait and see. I might have high expectations of everyone else compared to MGT!

And I’m not leaving, I’m just changing direction. It’s been so special to be part of this. And that it is something that has completely changed my life. And I don’t think I would be where I am today without it because I’ve learned so much. It’s so enriching, and the next person to come and work here is going to be very lucky to be a part of a team. 

All we’ve accomplished, from starting in Daisy’s kitchen, not really knowing any of you, to five years later, it’s started me off in life, really. And I think if I’d worked anywhere else, I wouldn’t have been so enriched as I’ve been with Make (Good) Trouble.

Lola has been invited to join our Advisory Group, so she’ll continue to help shape the direction of Make (Good) Trouble in the years to come. Thank you, Lola! You’ve been amazing. Enjoy your travels x

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Where did the summer go? This week, we’re out in our wet weather gear in the beautiful South Downs National Park for our summer holiday club. That’s a soggy Team MGT in the above pic on day 1. Over the next couple of days we’ll be exploring the countryside and paddle-boarding so keep an eye on our socials to see what else we get up to! 

BBC Raising Teens to look into access to services

As part of our research for the new series of BBC Raising Teens (coming later this autumn!) we’ve been looking into the issues young people have in accessing services and support around mental health and neurodiversity.
 
Waits of up to seven years have been reported in some parts of the UK for those wanting assessments for Autism and ADHD. And it can be complex if frustrated parents opt for a private assessment, as this letter to the Guardian shows:
“We reluctantly sought a private diagnosis, at considerable cost, and our child is now medicated, with improved behaviour. But we have now encountered another problem: our request for a shared care agreement with our GP – where the GP assumes responsibility for prescribing – has been refused. We are told that it is the policy of our GP consortium never to enter into shared care arrangements when diagnosis was initiated in the private healthcare sector.”
 
We’d love to hear from you if you have an experience to share. We’ll be asking experts for their tips and insights on the programme, so if you have a question or story, find out how to get involved here.

We’ll be looking into the following topics over the series:

  • Mental health and wellbeing services – how young people get access to help and support and what are the issues they’ve encountered along the way?
  • Trauma and complex needs – how can we better understand young people who have experienced trauma or who have complex needs? 
  • Eating disorders – what can we do to help those who need help?
  • From teenager to adulthood – the challenges of having a teenage brain! This episode will cover drugs, alcohol, sexuality and sexual health.
  • ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – what’s it like at school for young people with ADHD and ASD? What support is out there and how easy is it to access?
  • Support at school and social prescribing – what is your experience of mental health support in school? Social prescribing is increasingly being offered to young people who have mental health challenges. How does it work and what difference does it make?

#NoStoppingMe

Our friends at charity Sound Waves Foundation (SWF) are running a brilliant campaign called #NoStoppingMe, which aims to “dispel the myths and break stereotypes surrounding disability and in particular deafness”.

Their wonderful video features keen 11-year-old surfer Elyana who is profoundly deaf, talking about why she’s deaf and proud. Do give SWF a follow on their socials!

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Celebrating Deafability (@sound_waves_foundation)

⚽️ World Cup fever

It’s a year today since the Lionesses won the Euros (I was at Wembley for that unforgettable match) and we’d just finished a fabulous project, Goal Power, working with artist Lindsey Smith and Brighton Museum. We created a series of podcasts, co-produced with a group of footballing girls who discussed their experiences and hopes for the future. They also got the chance to interview some legends and professionals of the women’s game. Their conversations were both enlightening and inspiring and I thought, with all the excitement around the World Cup, it would be a great time to re-share their wonderful podcasts which show just how far the women’s game has come in the past few decades – and how far it still has to go. Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy Make (Good) News

If you have any suggestions or news you think we should cover next month, send us a line! 

The Make (Good) Trouble team x

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Hello! We hope you had a great Easter! 

Each month, we look at the issues affecting young people that make the news, with an emphasis on making good – so we add practical tips and advice for young people and families. 

In this month’s post:

  • A round up of the latest reports showing that the mental health crisis in young people is growing – and where to get help.
  • The cost-of-living crisis is stopping young people going out, causing greater loneliness – we’ve some great resources to help.
  • Why getting out into nature is great for our mental health.
  • We’ve rewarded young people for their amazing work on The Catalyst programme.
  • And lastly, listen to MGT co-founder, Daisy Cresswell, on the EdTech podcast, focusing on how tech can be used to promote diversity, inclusivity and equality in education.

Mental health crisis – latest reports

This month, mental health is making the headlines. The charity Mind released new research which reveals that “young adults are struggling with their mental health with 95 per cent feeling anxious in the last 12 months and over a fifth (21 per cent) experiencing these feelings all the time.” This comes hot on the heels of a report by The House magazine that 1 in 3 young people referred to the NHS for mental health issues are being denied help. 

The report has “uncovered a postcode lottery in child and adolescent mental health care, with some desperate young people waiting up to four years for help.” It also stated: “We hear about parents sleeping on their children’s floors to keep them safe, children out of education for months and years while they wait for help.”

Our Help & Advice pages have some great sources of advice and support on topics such as anxiety and eating disorders, and self-harm. If there’s a subject you think we should add here, please let us know!

Universities should have a statutory duty of care 

We wanted to give a shout out to Ben West, who lost his brother to suicide and has been campaigning for the government to legislate that Universities have a duty of care towards their students. On Tuesday, he gave a speech in parliament to call for “clarity, parity and accountability. In other words, for the government to say “this is what needs to happen, this is the same legal standard across the sector and it is a statutory requirement to provide this minimum standard of support.”

You can listen to his powerful speech on his Instagram account.

And check out his brilliant book: This Book Could Save Your Life: Breaking the silence around the mental heath emergency.

Combating loneliness 

UK Youth’s latest poll reveals that 36% of young people say they feel lonelier because they’re staying in to save money, curbing their social life. We looked into the effects of loneliness on young people during the pandemic. If you’re worried about someone close to you, check out these resources: 

Getting out into nature for free

We know that getting out into nature is a great way to help preventative mental ill health, helping to reduce loneliness and anxiety. (Read our blog post: Proving that nature is a real boost to young people’s mental health.)

This Easter, we took young people out to the South Downs National Park for our holiday club. It’s part of the ESCC Holiday Activities and Food programme which offers free activities to young people in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. We spent four days outside in the gorgeous South Downs National Park (SDNP) – if you follow us on social media, you’ll have seen us on wildlife walks, beach combing, litter picking (so much plastic on our beaches!) and learning about conservation. We’ll be back with another club in the summer, so watch this space. Big thanks to Dragon Drama and the SDNP team who ran our workshops for the club.

We were chuffed to get this feedback from a parent, which illustrates the benefits perfectly:

“I would love this to be a permanent thing. Getting kids outside, getting them active, muddy, rolling round, running about, is so good for them. Then of course they were ravenous, and it was great that there was varied, healthy food. Best holiday club ever!”

Rewarding young people

We’ve awarded 17 Digital Badges this month to participants of The Catalyst programme. That means, to-date, we have awarded 119 badges to young people who’ve taken part in our projects and programmes. This badging scheme is led by Real Ideas and Future Creators, and badges are issued by Badge Nation. written using the Cities of learning badging standard, endorsed by City and Guilds and the RSA.

After last month’s Catalyst graffiti workshops, we wanted to say a big thanks to Brewers who supported the project by supplying surplus paint, paint brushes, and a discount on exterior paint. They also featured the brilliant artwork the young participants produced in a blog post on the Brewers website.

Making EdTech more inclusive

Lastly, our co-founder, Daisy Cresswell, featured on the latest edition of The EdTech Podcast: Making EdTech more inclusive to discuss our work with Soundwaves Foundation, a charity that supports deaf children and young adults. We are working together to look into how we can help all young people learn better in the classroom.

That’s all for April. See you next month!

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