#BeeWell is a youth-centred programme that exists to improve the wellbeing of young people across England.
#BeeWell was co-founded by The University of Manchester, The Gregson Family Foundation, and Anna Freud, a mental health charity for children and young people, which, together with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, launched the programme in 2021.
The programme expanded into Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS) in 2023.
We listen to the voices of young people through our annual wellbeing survey delivered with secondary schools in the 14 local authorities of Greater Manchester and HIPS.
Since 2021, the survey has been completed by more than 130,000 young people across almost 300 schools. Other locations, like Havering (see below), are adapting the survey to meet their own ambitions for their young people.
We publish the results privately to schools and publicly by neighbourhood, working with local young people, schools, charities, local government and health systems to act on the results.
Together with our partners, we are running a campaign – ‘Our wellbeing, our voice’ – to persuade central government to implement wellbeing measurement throughout England.
Insights from Havering
Councillor Oscar Ford (Residents’ Association) is Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at the London Borough of Havering
Havering Council has taken a significant step towards understanding and improving the wellbeing of its young residents through the Havering Youth Wellbeing Census.
This initiative, adapted in collaboration with the health innovation partnership UCL Partners, local young people, and the organisations that support them, aims to amplify the voices of young people and address their needs through data-driven insights and community engagement.
Critical insights into the lives of adolescents in the borough include that girls’ psychological wellbeing is three points lower than boys’.
There is variation in how young people perceive crime, with those living in the north most concerned about gang activity and drug-related problems.
Discrimination based on race, skin colour, or place of birth is the most commonly experienced by young people.
Students with special educational needs and eligible for free school meals experience discrimination more than their peers.
Havering’s new ‘Integrated Starting Well Plan’ prioritises children’s wellbeing and draws upon the census results, centring young people’s voices.
The council and partners are using the findings to foster positive youth-led change, exploring the results with young people and agreeing priorities for action.
The borough is addressing issues identified by:
- using the findings to inform Havering’s emotional health and wellbeing strategy for children and young people, and shaping the offer of mental health support teams in schools
- acting to enhance community safety, focusing on areas where young people have expressed concerns about crime and gang activity
- using the results in delivering Havering’s culture strategy, focusing on promoting inclusivity, ensuring all young people feel valued and supported.
Havering’s Youth Wellbeing Census is helping us take proactive steps to create a safer, more inclusive, and supportive environment for young people.
We hope we are setting a precedent for other local authorities to follow. We fully support the ‘Our wellbeing, our voice’ campaign.
We all want children to thrive, and to support them, we must understand the complex factors that affect their wellbeing, putting their voices and lived experience at the heart of policy-making.