Schools Mental
Wellbeing Project
It’s estimated that 1 in 6 young people in the UK have a diagnosable mental health problem
Statistics also suggest that 50% of people that suffer from ongoing mental health problems experience their first symptoms by the age of 14.
It’s important to make sure that the right education, advice and support around mental wellness is readily available to young people.
Using the appeal of football and the local passion for our football club, Burnley FC in the Community work with secondary schools across Burnley and Pendle to deliver our Schools’ Mental Wellbeing Project.
The Schools’ Mental Wellbeing Project employs a team of mental wellbeing workers who are placed in schools across the local area to provide an early intervention to support students who are struggling with mental health issues.
Our team of dedicated mental wellbeing workers also help raise awareness of mental health within schools. Education and coaching is available for parents, students and teachers to make the school ‘a mentally healthy school’.
Since launching in 2018, the Schools’ Mental Wellbeing Project has provided support sessions for more than 3000 students struggling with their mental health.
The project has also received national recognition, being shortlisted in 2020 for the Northwest Football Awards and the Children and Young People Now National Mental Health and Wellbeing awards
Burnley FC in the Community are pleased we’ve been able to support so many young people across our local area with this project, and we’re proud that the work of our dedicated mental wellbeing workers has achieved national recognition.
But the Schools’ Mental Wellbeing Project would not be possible without the ongoing support of our partners:
Meet our mental
Wellbeing Workers
Get to know our dedicated team of mental wellbeing workers, who make a difference for young people in our community every day.

Hayley Quinn
Schools Mental Wellbeing Manager
Hayley has always been interested in Mental wellbeing as she believes it’s everyone’s birth right to live a fulfilled and happy life. Her degree in Counselling and psychology led her to work as a psychological wellbeing practitioner for an adult mental health service before arriving at BFCitC as a mental well-being worker and most recently becoming School’s mental wellbeing manager.
Hayley found that the majority of adults she worked with struggled with their wellbeing because of childhood experiences, so she believed working in a school and supporting young people would be fulfilling.
Hayley is looking forward to supporting the team in her new role so that they can continue having an amazing impact on so many young people’s lives.

Deborah Howard
Mental Wellbeing Worker
Qualified to degree level in Psychology and Counselling, Deborah has previously worked as a community mediator, as well as a volunteer youth worker. Most recently, Deborah has trained and worked as part of the NHS Trailblazer project as an Educational Mental Health Practitioner which provided low intensity interventions for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems.
Deborah feels strongly about young people being able to access mental health support in schools and is proud that BFCitC continue to positively make a difference to the wellbeing of local children and young people.
For More Information
For more information on this project, please contact Michael Colquhoun, Director of Community Projects at Burnley FC in the Community