On Wednesday, to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, students from Varndean Sixth Form College joined 120+ young people from schools and colleges across Brighton & Hove to reclaim the Council Chamber at Brighton Town Hall – transforming it into a space for action, creativity, accountability, and hope.
As leaders within Brighton & Hove Citizens, the largest alliance of community organisations across Brighton and Hove, students came together to celebrate major wins already secured and to challenge city leaders to go further on the issues affecting young people today.
Together, the Alliance has secured £600,000 so every secondary school in the city can access counselling support. Students shared powerful testimonies about the life-changing impact this support has had on them and their peers.
A huge moment came when Cllr Bella Sankey, the leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, confirmed that the counselling “pilot” is no longer a pilot – it is now a permanent part of the Council budget, meaning funding will continue automatically in the years ahead. A massive step forward for young people across our city.
Students also called on the Council to tackle digital isolation and help make Brighton & Hove the most playful city in the UK. Through creative activities, they mapped the barriers young people face across the city, with common themes:
• Activities are too expensive
• Many spaces feel unsafe
• Access to activities is too limited
From there, students began building practical solutions together – the first steps towards a city-wide Playfulness Manifesto.
Congratulations to every student who helped shape and lead the action, and to everyone who showed up with such energy, discipline, and determination.
