This week, we came together for a special community meeting to mark Children’s Mental Health Week, an annual awareness week launched by the children’s mental health charity Place2Be. Celebrated every February since 2015, the week exists to empower, equip and give a voice to all children and young people across the UK.

Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 takes place from 9–15 February, and this year’s theme is “This Is My Place.”

The theme highlights how important a sense of belonging is for our mental health and wellbeing. Feeling that we have a place — in our friendships, in school, and in our wider community — is a basic human need. When we talked about where our place is, many of us shared that it was our home, our school and our classrooms, and it was lovely to recognise that we have so many different places where we feel safe, valued and able to belong.

When children feel that they belong, it supports their emotional wellbeing, helps them to feel confident and valued, and empowers them to contribute positively to the world around them. To know our place and really feel part of our environment can have powerful and long-lasting impacts on our mental and physical health, education and relationships.

This year, Children’s Mental Health Week encourages peers, families, schools and communities to work together to create inclusive and nurturing environments, where every child can truly say, “This is my place.”

During our community meeting, we shared a story about a small yellow bird named Sunny, who was learning to sing. Sunny flew to the playground but felt too shy to join in when other birds were busy playing and laughing. Feeling small and unsure, Sunny sat quietly on a branch. A kind squirrel named Mira noticed Sunny sitting alone, came to sit alongside them, and gently listened to one small chirp. Mira invited Sunny to join others — a robin and a rabbit — and helped Sunny learn just one new note. The next day, Sunny sang a little louder, simply because someone had said hello.

The story gave us a powerful reminder of how small acts of kindness and inclusion can make a big difference.

We then spent time working in pairs, introducing ourselves to someone new and sharing our interests, as well as something we liked about each other. These moments of connection helped reinforce the message that everyone belongs and that our differences are something to celebrate.

To end our meeting, we sang “This Is Me” together — a beautiful and uplifting moment that perfectly captured the spirit of the week.

As a community, we also made a simple pledge. This week, everyone will try at least one of the following:

• Say hello to someone you don’t usually talk to
• Share a toy, crayon, or turn in a game
• Invite someone to join your group

We are proud of the way our children listened, reflected and supported one another. By making small, thoughtful choices each day, we can all help to create a place where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to say, “This is my place.” 💛

This morning we had a very special visitor in school. Stuart came from an organisation called Starting Point. He spoke to us about his important job supporting homeless people across Doncaster.

Stuart told us that his role is to make sure people who don’t have a safe home can get the help they need. He explained that this could mean finding them a safe place to stay, helping them get food, clothing, and health care, and supporting them to make positive changes in their lives.

We asked him lots of thoughtful questions, such as:

• What is your favourite thing about your job?
• What can we do to help?
• How do you get donations to help people?
• Where do you take people to be safe?
• How many people have you helped?
• How many homeless people are there in Doncaster?
• What are you most proud of?
• What inspired you to help homeless people?
• How can you help people stay clean and healthy?
• Do people volunteer to help homeless people?

Stuart said that one of the best parts of his job is seeing people smile again when they feel safe and supported. He told us that anyone can help by being kind, donating food or clothing, or even just raising awareness about homelessness.

We learned that there are many people involved with the work Stuart does. Together, they make a huge difference to people who might be going through very difficult times.

At the end of Stuart’s visit, we were proud to present him with one of our special Community Champion Awards. The children thought carefully about the character traits Stuart shows every day in his work. We agreed that he demonstrates compassion, respect, and integrity in all he does.

Meeting Stuart made us think about how important it is to help others in our community. We left the session inspired and ready to play our part in making Doncaster a kinder place for everyone.