Royal approval for convoplate

global project: Kirriemuir pupils playing thier part for mental wellbeing

Tayside primary pupils have received a royal seal of approval for their involvement in a global initiative aimed at developing youth mental health awareness.

Youngsters from Northmuir school in Kirriemuir became involved with the convoplate programme founded in Canada.

And an ambitious plan to pass the Ontario stoneware into very special hands and keep the mental health conversation going will see the item’s journey continue to Kensington Palace after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge agreed to be the next link in the global chain.

The convoplate programme is part of the work of the Paul Hansell Foundation, founded by his father, Brian, after he lost his teenage son to suicide in 2010.

Northmuir deputy head teacher Jonathan Brown met Mr Hansell on a visit to Ontario last October and felt the convoplate scheme fitted perfectly with work being done in the Angus primary around mental wellbeing.

“There are a number of convoplates, which you can track through the foundation website, and the idea is to pass them on to keep the conversation going,” he said.

Eleven-year-olds Charley-Rae Clarke and Issy Ramsay drafted the letter to William and Kate and they were delighted when the response came back saying that the royal couple would be happy to accept the convoplate.

Picture: Paul Reid. Pupils Issy Ramsay and Charley-Rae Clark with the royal letter they received and the plate they will send on.