In the fifth year of ITV’s Britain Get Talking, Uncommon calls on schools and parents across the UK to set a new kind of homework task ahead of World mental Health Day on October 10. The task, designed with a psychologist and the teaching community, asks young people to have a proper chat with an adult they trust about the hardest subject – what’s on their mind. It makes use of a time when kids and adults sit down together to do homework and aims to make starting a conversation easier as well as reminding everyone that daily lives present valuable opportunities to have a meaningful conversation.
The next edition of Britain Get Talking comes at a time when it is very much needed. The cost of living crisis, a pandemic and troubling world events have all had a negative impact on children’s mental health like never before. Mental health has declined in almost 40% of schoolchildren. [Source: NHS Digital]
The message is being promoted in an ad across ITV and ITVX. The short film features a cast of children from across Britain, sending a powerful rallying cry to the adults in their lives: encouraging them to “do their homework and get talking”.
ITV is also working directly with schools and charity partners, Mind, YoungMinds and the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), to spread the campaign.
Ant and Dec continue to front the campaign, following on from the initial launch in 2019. The duo feature in a fun and interactive assembly film that teachers are able to use to help explain the homework to their pupils and parents or carers. Then the homework task be available to download as a printout at itv.com/BritainGetTalking with further advice and support.
ITV will also have a special hour of Britain Get Talking programming on World Mental Health Day, introduced by Ant and Dec, including a Martin Lewis Money Show Live special as well as a Tonight exclusive with Susanna Reid who investigates children’s mental health and the importance of us talking together as a family.
Susie Braun, Director of Social Purpose ITV, stated, “ITV’s landmark Britain Get Talking campaign has led to over 100 million new or meaningful conversations since launch, but mental health having declined in almost 40% of British school children is a staunchly sobering statistic.
“This year, we’re continuing to focus on young people, as simply asking a child what’s on their mind can be key to them opening up and easing their worries. And this is homework for the adults too, so kids can finally get their own back! Come on Britain, Get Talking.”
Laura Bunt, chief executive of YoungMinds said, “Whether it’s exam pressure or the climate crisis, body image or bullying, it can be really hard for children and young people to open up about what’s troubling them. And it can be hard for adults to know how to start those conversations — talking about what’s on your mind can help. We hope this simple homework exercise initiates thousands of helpful conversations across the country.”
Talking is often the first step in helping ease stress and reduce anxiety. According to research conducted by YoungMinds, It found that 87% of young people worry about climate change and 82% of young people worry about political issues such as war and conflict. Often parents shy away from talking about these ‘adult’ topics, as they don’t want to worry their children, but their children are already aware of and, sadly, worrying about these issues.
Lucy Jameson, co-founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, noted, “There’s a natural inclination for parents to want to shield their children from bad news or scary headlines, but we know that children are already discussing — and worrying about — these issues with their peers. Whether it’s the cost of living, the pressures of social media, or the threat of climate change, it can be challenging for children — and their parents — to share their feelings with one another, which is why this campaign and the homework ‘task’ is so important.”
