Designed to open the conversation and develop skills to deal with this part of life. Project Eileen
Helping young people tackle the topic of death
Up to 5,000 children die every year in the UK
112 children under the age of 18 are bereaved of a parent every day
1 in 29 schoolchildren has been bereaved of a parent or sibling –
the equivalent to one child in every class
Mortality affects everyone at
some point. This taboo subject is largely
neglected or skimmed over in schools. Project Eileen aims to help young
people develop the necessary skills to deal with this part of life and help
schools broach the topic which proves so difficult to discuss. Project Eileen provides secondary schools with an original multi-media
programme obtainable in one of three versions. Schools can select from:
a live band of young musicians accompanied by a narrator/performer,
with original animation, performing a 45-minute set in a hall or gym; the
script, the musical score and the animation, all downloadable, to
facilitate producing a live version themselves; or a downloadable file
comprising animated narrative with recorded musical accompaniment
which would be suitable for presentation in individual classrooms. Every aspect has been created uniquely for this project and, from this
starting point, schools will have access to comprehensive teacher
resource packs, with support material and links, to help open-up and
develop discussion with their students in five follow-up lessons. How Project Eileen can help young people:
• Raising awareness. It is anticipated young people will find
themselves in a better position to deal with any loss they will one
day encounter, sometimes unexpectedly.
• Combatting isolation. For young people who have already been
affected by death, it is hoped that it will help them to feel less
isolated, to realise they are not alone and help prevent mental
health issues arising.
• Addressing the stigma. Those who have not yet encountered
death in their lives will discover ways to respond to friends who
have been bereaved. In the future, this knowledge will enable them
to offer support to colleagues, friends and relatives.
