Housebuilder helps young filmmakers highlight mental health issues with fourth year of funding
Taylor Wimpey, based in Bury St Edmunds, has continued its ongoing support for young people in Essex and Suffok by donating to a charity that aims to improve skills and wellbeing across the region for the fourth year in a row.
Student Life works with schools, colleges and universities, inviting young people to take part in a range of projects including film-making and lifestyle publications. A broad range of topics are covered, from entertainment and food to mental and physical health, and young people take the lead in each project.
Taylor Wimpey was a regular supporter of Together Families CAN, a charitable organisation that helped families with children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Together Families CAN merged with Student Life in 2018 and the housebuilder was happy to continue its support by donating £500, taking total donations since 2016 to £2,300.
The money handed over this year has been used to support a new film that covers the issue of self harm as a coping mechanism for mental health issues. The film, which premieres in mid-2019, aims to resonate with a young audience and reduce the stigma that is associated with mental health and self harm.
Richard Stewart, Chief Executive of Student Life, said: “Taylor Wimpey’s support is invaluable in helping to launch our self-harm awareness project in co-production with the NHS in Suffolk this year. Empowering young people to speak up and speak out to normalise their emotional wellbeing is at the core of our mental health work and donations such as this are vital to our ongoing work.”
Michael O’Leary, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey East London, said: “We’d seen the invaluable work carried out by Together Families CAN over the past few years so it was an easy decision to continue our support following the merger with Student Life. Not only does the charity focus on key issues such as mental health in ways that actively engage young people, but it also empowers young people to learn new skills and think about how these issues could be tackled in the future.”
Find out more about Student Life at www.student-life.co.
More information about previous causes that Taylor Wimpey has supported can be found atwww.taylorwimpey.co.uk/media-
Picture shows:-
Student Life Chief Executive Richard Stewart with film students Louise Richardson and Leanne Arnold