Insightful talks for pupils and parents

Worth was delighted to welcome The Lucy Rayner Foundation and Sussex and Surrey Police to the School to talk to pupils about mental health, wellbeing and how to keep safe.

There were four separate talks for Years 9 to 13 and then a talk for parents in the evening which was attended by almost 50 people. These were arranged as part of the School’s PSHE programme.

Jenny and Becky Rayner talked about their experience of losing Lucy, who took her own life in 2012 aged 22. They also spoke about the support the Lucy Rayner Foundation provides, while also offering guidance on how to recognise the signs and symptoms of poor mental wellbeing and how individuals can seek help, challenging the potential stigma associated with mental health.

Daniel Sykes, Cyber Crime Officer for Surry and Sussex Police, spoke openly about the rise in sextortion and other online scams, how this can affect emotional wellbeing and where to find support.

One Year 11 student said: “The talk gave a real insight into the Rayner family’s journey, how it impacted them and their drive to guide young adults to seek help.”

A Year 10 pupil felt the sextortion part of the session was particularly insightful: “The sextortion part of the talk made us realise that we have to think when online about misinformation and the potential dangers we may face.”

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