Stormbreak – Embedding mental wellbeing into NorthEast schools

One in five children aged 5 to 16 in England has a mental health disorder, and half of all mental health conditions start before the age of 14. Stormbreak gives teachers a simple tool: short breaks in which children move and talk about how they feel. Kavli Trust is giving NOK 3.1 million (£248 930) to bring the approach to 60 primary schools in North East England.

About the project

A stormbreak is a 10–15 minute session in which a trusted adult combines physical movement with conversation about feelings. Children learn to recognise, name and regulate their emotions, becoming calmer and more ready to learn. The project brings the approach to 60 primary schools in South Tyneside, Sunderland and Gateshead – a region with around 30 per cent child poverty and the steepest decline in children’s mental health in England.

Schools join in cohorts of ten, and staff receive twelve weeks of training. The project has three programmes: SURGE is for every child and makes movement and mental health part of the school day. SHINE offers early, targeted support to children showing emerging mental health difficulties. TOGETHER gives parents at 30 schools tools to support their children at home. Schools gain lasting access to a digital platform for delivery and measurement. Northumbria University is carrying out an independent evaluation of the programmes, with a separate grant from Kavli Trust.

How will Kavli Trust’s funding be used

The grant funds the delivery of SURGE, SHINE and TOGETHER in 60 schools: a dedicated North East Programme Lead and the wider team who recruit, train and support schools and parents, classroom packs for schools and materials for families attending TOGETHER workshops, and staff travel to schools across the region.

About the organisation

Stormbreak is a UK charity founded in 2019 by Dr Martin Yelling, who holds a PhD in youth behaviour change, and Judy Willits, who has 30 years’ experience in the health sector. The organisation works on prevention and early intervention for children’s mental health through what it calls “mentally healthy movement”. Stormbreak has reached more than 80,000 children, SURGE is used by 322 schools and 1,323 school staff have been trained.

The organisation started in the South of England and now has staff in the North East. Around 70 per cent of its income comes from 15–20 trusts and foundations, including the Henry Smith Foundation, Moondance and Rayne. This is the first time Stormbreak has received funding from Kavli Trust.