Five Ways Happy Days
Welcome to Five Ways Happy Days!
The Five Ways Happy Days programme teaches young people the power of small, everyday actions to improve well-being and build resilience. The initiative offers a universal approach to mental health at the grassroots level, aiming to reduce the demand on youth mental health services.
The Programme
Five Ways Happy Days focuses on empowering young people with the tools they need to thrive. The programme is built around the acronym CLANG, represented by a 'high-five' logo, with each finger and thumb symbolising one of the five key actions:
Connect:
Connect with others socially or through an interest of a hobby.
Learn:
Learn a new skill, read a book, explore new places.
Active:
Go for a walk or do some moderate exercise that you like to do. Release your feel-good endorphins.
Notice:
Be mindful of the present moment and appreciate the world around you. This could be spending time in nature.
Give:
Doing things for other can make you feel good about yourself. Help a friend or a neighbour.
How We Support Schools and Students
- Student Journals: Each child receives a personal journal to use during lessons, helping them integrate the Five Ways Happy Days into their daily lives.
- Classroom Reminders: Signage featuring the Five Ways Happy Days logos are placed in classrooms to encourage children to practice these principles every day.
- Teacher Resources: Teachers have access to a dedicated app to log lessons and track student participation and word cloud boards to capture information.
- Community and Parental Involvement: We offer workshops and assemblies for parents and community groups, promoting a supportive community around the children.
- Five Ways Ambassadors are being introduced in each school to be advocates of the programme.
Our Journey So Far
In the past school year:
- Co-designing the project with three primary schools in Bolton.
- Two new primary schools will be delivering the project in September 2024.
- Conducted numerous sessions, positively impacting many students.
Our Vision for the Future
We aim to integrate the Five Ways Happy Days programme into the National Curriculum across all schools in the borough, reaching 28,000 children through a comprehensive community campaign.
To find out more about the Five Ways Happy Days programme
Contact: Eddy Kavanagh Edward.Kavanagh@bolton.gov.uk
