Musicians' pop platform tunes into mental health message
AN INDIE-POP band who supported Grammy-winning singer Jess Glynne’s tour in 2024 have been singing the praises of talking about mental health on a tour of secondary schools.
Rising Leicester indie rock band, The Mercians brought music and important conversation to students across four Wickersley Partnership Trust's schools – Thrybergh Academy, Clifton Community School, Rawmarsh Community School and The Gainsborough Academy – during Children’s Mental Health Week, with a final performance scheduled at Wickersley School and Sports College in March.
The sessions combined live music with important messages around mental health and wellbeing.
Alongside their performances, band members spoke openly about the challenges they have faced and how they have worked to overcome them, encouraging students to talk openly, seek support and look out for one another.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Being able to use this platform to encourage people to talk has always been something we said we’d do if we got the chance to have an impact.
“The main takeaways we want to put across for students is that it’s okay to go through a rough patch and it’s very very normal to do so.
“A lot of young people are struggling with modern pressures and it’s definitely more important than ever to make sure we’re checking in on those around us. “The more we can normalise those little check-ins, not only will it be easier for people to reach out when they need it, but we will continue to proactively approach these topics to improve quality of life across the country.”
One Y7 student at Thrybergh Academy said of the performances: “It was very good.
“I liked how they talked about mental health, and about how talking to other people can make you feel better.”
Helen O’Brien, CEO at Wickersley Partnership Trust, added: “The Mercians’ honesty and relatability has a real impact on our young people.
"Their message – that it’s okay to experience difficult periods and that reaching out is a strength – aligns perfectly with our commitment to promoting positive mental health in all of our schools.”
It is not the group's first time in the borough.
In 2023 and 2024 the group played Winterhill School in Kimberworth as part of a UK school tour promoting mental health.