Pampering carers and book week among school’s events
A Burgess Hill independent school has held its annual Carers’ Day, designed to give people who look after others some respite, with pupils on hand to show them around the services on offer.
Carers, who spend their days looking after others, were treated to a day of massage, hairdressing and beauty pampering on Wednesday, March 9, thanks to Burgess Hill Girls School.
Visitors enjoyed everything from Indian head massage, reflexology and hair styling to flowering arranging, cake decorating and tile painting.
They were also treated to lunch and musical entertainment provided by the pupils.
Representatives from Age UK, Carers’ Support, Mid Sussex Voluntary Action and Apetito Meals on Wheels also manned stands so that carers could easily access any information they needed.
Headteacher Liz Laybourn said: “This is one event in the calendar that we all really love – it is great to see so many happy faces. The girls get so much out of it too – it’s so important that the different generations spend time with each other and understand each other.”
Also at Burgess Hill Girls this month, an author thanked supportive celebrity friend Holly Willoughby as she returned to their old school for book week.
Former Burgess Hill Girls pupil and children’s author Hannah Peckham returned to her old school during the week of World Book Day to talk about the importance of good mental health.
The author, who is also a young person’s counsellor, was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of five and believes her struggles with it contributed to her interest in enabling children to talk about how they feel.
Hannah joined Burgess Hill Girls in 1985 where she met TV presenter Holly Willoughby and the pair have since both gone on record about the challenges of dyslexia.
She went on to become a children’s author, creating the much-loved Conker the Chameleon character, and Holly has supported her with shout outs on her social media.
Hannah said: “It was really good to come back to school and talk to the little ones about the importance of looking after your mental health. We all know how to keep our bodies healthy but it has always been taboo to talk about keeping our minds healthy too. Conker can’t change colour with his feelings so has to learn to use words instead and I gently explain through him how we all need to articulate how we feel somehow so we can stay mentally well.
“Holly has been really supportive of my writing – we met when we were small and shared a flat in our twenties and I am really grateful for her friendship and support.”
Burgess Hill Girls teacher Shelley Allen said: “Hannah’s books, Conker the Chameleon and Climb, were instant hits with the girls with the stories also sharing important messages about mental health. As part of her workshop, the girls learned a breathing technique to help them feel calm and relaxed and were also invited to share something with Hannah about their own strengths and unique talents. The girls came away with not only an appreciation of stories but also with some techniques they could use even in their everyday lives.”