When schools first closed down across the UK, charities recognised it as a risk to the wellbeing of kids.
So some charities and one, young professional footballer, Marcus Rashford went into immediate action. They stepped up and created a safe space boosting the mental and physical health of children across the nation.
But before I share with you the present actions taken, I’d like to talk about the beginning of lockdown and why charities shifted their focus to improving the health of UK kids.
When schools first made the switch to online schooling, one of the concerns internally discussed amongst charities and psychologists alike was how school is a pivotal focal point in kids’ lives.
Schools give children consistency, purpose, confidence, and pride. It fills a missing piece that children crave and need to grow in a positive way. Not all of these same conditions can be met at home. So charities started thinking, creating, and offering ways to help fill in these gaps. They found ways to support a child’s developmental growth, health, and happiness.
According to the UK government website, the UK government granted £5 million of additional funding to supporting people with their mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mind charity found ways to help the wellbeing of young people and showed this through branded illustrations and infographics
During the beginning stages of lockdown, Mind created content covering “Coronavirus and your wellbeing for young people.” Within that content, there were branded infographics and illustrations explaining what quarantine meant, how quarantine relates to one’s mental health, how to boost your emotions by staying busy or going for a walk, and more. Since then, the charity added content relating to “lockdown easing,” and what it means to your emotions and how to mentally process it all.
Mind charity’s Instagram post covering “lockdown easing” features simple, effective branding design, recognisably Mind, while still helping young people thrive. It is a great example of how a charity embraces its fluctuating audience’s needs and develops with them.
Rashford was the catalyst for a new £120m “covid summer food fund” for 1.3 million pupils in England
Last year, Rashford partnered with FareShare to help the food distribution charity raise £20 million, which is fantastic. But that was just the start.
Rashford understood the difficulties vulnerable families face while not in school, whether due to lockdown or summer term. Some kids are left hungry, which causes a negative domino effect upon kids’ wellbeing and physical development.
According to Gov.uk, in 2019 approximately 1.3 million children claimed free school meals in England. In Manchester, where Rashford grew up, 28.1% of children claimed free school meals.
So Rashford posted an honest and open letter to the government urging politicians to give vulnerable students access to a national voucher scheme to feed kids across the country, even during lockdown and while school doors are closed. This went back and forth but, finally, Downing Street announced it would grant a new £120m “covid summer food fund” for 1.3 million pupils in England.
The impact of this scheme is immense upon young people’s lives and their families. That is the power of how one person can change things for the better.
Rashford and Mind charity are inspiring, altering and uplifting the country for the better. When your organisation takes similar empowering measures, as Rashford and Mind, does the public know about it?
According to Brain Rules, “When people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information 3 days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information 3 days later.”
Get your achievements, services, and messaging out there through digital and print design. The design can convey your services and reach your target market.
Design to tell your story.
Read more about brand design for wellbeing
Image: Twinsfisch Photography | Unsplash