The theme for the latest episode of the HeadStart podcast is mental health in the Punjabi-speaking community. On Thursday, 15th March, HeadStart and Aspiring Futures organised a Punjabi-language training session for members of the All Saints, Blakenhall, Parkfields and Ettingshall community. The session was very well attended, and supported community members in their understanding of emotional well-being and mental health issues, and highlighted the support available through HeadStart to parents, carers and young people.

During the session, I took the opportunity to speak to two of the Aspiring Future trainers, Satwant and Jasmeen, and to HeadStart Community Development Coordinator Manjit. They shared their thoughts and experiences of working with the Punjabi-speaking community, on attitudes within that community on mental health, and on specific challenges faced by that community in accessing support for mental health challenges.

Huge thanks to Satwant and Jasmeen for speaking to us. Please submit feedback and comments using the form at the bottom of the post, and don't forget to follow HeadStart @HeadStartFM on Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram and YouTube.

• Mental health in black, Asian and minority ethnic communities - The Mental Health Foundation
• Aspiring Futures
• Aman's video blog (YouTube)
• Black and Minority Ethnic communities faced with double the levels of discrimination - Time To Change
• Resources for young people on the HeadStart Support and Guidance site

Correction: in the podcast, I mispronounce Satwant's name as 'Satmant'. Apologies to Satwant for the error.

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'Cultural Differences' Resources on the HeadStart Support and Guidance platform

Maddison has experienced a number of traumatic events in her life, including abuse and bullying. In the conversation she discusses the impact these events have had upon her mental health and self esteem, and how she has sometimes coped by self harming and behaving disruptively. Her honesty and self awareness have much to teach us.

In the latest 4YP show, we hear from four young people who attend a young carers support group for 13-14 year olds with Spurgeons UK at their Wolverhampton base at The WorkSpace. 

Jess, Josh, Siwi and Eniola spoke about their experiences of being a young person with caring responsibilities for a parent or family member; how it makes them feel, how it affects them at school, and how Spurgeons support them. Their resilience and thoughtfulness are truly inspiring.

The audio of the interviews is taken from the video below. Whether you prefer to listen to the podcast, or watch the video, we'd love to receive your comments and feedback. Please like, share, and comment.

To mark Young Carers Awareness Day 2018, we speak to four young people from the Wolverhampton area about their experiences of being a young carer: how it makes them feel, how it affects them at school, and how Spurgeons UK support them. Their resilience and thoughtfulness are truly inspiring.

• Spurgeons UK
• Resources to support Young Carers Awareness Day on the HeadStart Support and Guidance platform
• The Carers Trust - Carers.org
• HeadStart Wolverhampton YouTube channel

In the latest of episode of the HeadStart podcast, I chat to Nikki Mattocks. Nikki is a Time To Change's Young Champion, and works alongside the Time To Change team to break down the stigma around mental health in schools, the community, and through the media.

In our conversation, we discuss the pressures that the festive period can create for young people, what they can do to support themselves, and how parents and family members can support the young people in their lives to create the happiest Christmas period possible.

We hope you enjoy listening to the show, and huge thanks to Nikki for sharing her thoughts and insights with us!

• Time To Change
• Christmas resources on the HeadStart Support and Guidance platform

The festive season can be a very difficult time of year for many people, with the possibility of family conflict, social anxiety, and unrealistic expectations.

We've collated some supportive resources on our new HeadStart Support and Guidance platform

• See our Christmas resources