Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition (CYPMHC)

This work was for a live event held in London a couple of months ago, it was run by the young members of the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition https://cypmhc.org.uk/. The event was to celebrate the 15th birthday of the coalition. I attended and listened during the event, and then finished off the drawings post-event. These images were then circulated to keep the event's main messages alive, as well as to amplify the ongoing work of the coalition.

 

Merton Young People's Plan

A 'you said we did' explainer, for London Borough of Merton's Young People. 

An ambitious list!

 

Illustration work, amplifying the voice of the child in Merton, southwest London

Some recent local authority work, for children's services in Merton. I really like the way children's voices are being listened to more, and citizenship is being developed at an early age these days.

Children's parliaments, young people doing peer to peer surveys for the council, children's mental health ambassadors in schools. I'm hoping all this involvement can help build a more engaged and better educated, and hopefully kinder generation of young people.
 

 I also want to bang my drum for using illustration in this way. To invest in the communication of messages is a way of honouring testimony and amplifying people's voices. It's especially impactful when expressing the voices of those who have previously been sidelined and overlooked. 

Illustration may often look 'pretty' or may be considered a 'nice to have', but it's worth investing in the people who surround you, be that a child, your staff, or someone you're trying to reach at a conference.

Ok, time to get off my illustration soapbox :)