Jack Petchey Foundation Newsletter

Special Edition April 2020

Special young people’s resources edition

We recognise the Coronavirus outbreak is an exceptional event that will have an impact on all our groups and young people across London, Essex and beyond and we want to offer reassurance that we stand with you during this time. We wish to be as helpful as possible during the coming weeks and months so that groups can focus on your vital work with young people and young people can stay motivated.

This special edition of our newsletter is packed with resources for young people, those who work with young people and parents. The resources are specially tailored so you can use them from home to keep you mentally and physically active.

It’s also important to look at all the positive action taking place. Young people and youth leaders have really shown how much they support their communities. Make sure you follow us on social media as we’ll be posting about this every day.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At almost 95 years old – it took the Coronavirus to stop Sir Jack coming into the office every day!

It has been a MAJOR adjustment for him – but like everything in his 94 years – he has faced it with positive attitude and saying: “If you think you can, you can!”

We are all impacted by the virus but perhaps none more than older people with health conditions.

We know he loves hearing from young people. You can show you care by sending Sir Jack a message to lift his spirits. Use the hashtag #InspiringMyGeneration and we’ll show Sir Jack your message. Tag us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Keep reading the newsletter to see how you can take part in our Inspiring My Generation campaign to show how older people you know have inspired you.

Young People’s Resources

We have revamped the Young People’s Resources section of our website to provide support for the current time. Three new sections show young people how to Stay Motivated, Stay Active and Stay Connected with others, whilst they cannot physically meet. We’re updating and adding to these daily so keep checking these pages to get new ideas to keep you inspired.

Take care of your wellbeing

You can only feel motivated if you feel well in yourself. Times of uncertainty and social distancing can feel stressful, so it’s important to establish routines and methods to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing.

You can visit The Mix , a leading digital platform for under 25s to talk about a range of problems. They have created a separate Coronavirus subforum where you can go to talk through specific worries about the current situation and get verified information. They also have lots of positive forums where you can simply connect and have a break.

Yoga and meditation are also great tools for managing stress and helping battle anxiety. There are great free resources to help with this such as Smiling Mind, a mindfulness app aimed specifically at young people.

If you feel anxious during this time – about anything – it’s important to stay connected to the people you’re close to. This could be talking to your family openly about your concerns, calling a friend regularly or using online resources such as Young Minds or the Healthy Minds App. For free online counselling services, visit Kooth.

Organising school work

With teachers sending resources and self-directed home study it’s important to organise school work carefully.

One of the main things is to establish a clear routine, similar to a school day, with a defined start time, morning break, lunch break, afternoon break and finish time. While this routine might not have the exact times of your normal day, try to keep them consistent to separate school time from home time, even if they’re in the same physical environment.

Keep a clear view of your goals, what you want to do and how you can do it.

Sir Jack says: “The best way to achieve a goal is to break it down into manageable steps. I have set myself many goals over my life and the deciding factor in whether I achieved my goal or not was the planning I put in. “

Click the button  below to find out our five Ws and one H for setting a goal!

Staying physically active

It’s important to stay active during this time. While social distancing can mean you’re now spending most of your time indoors, there’s no reason why you can’t be physically and mentally active.

We’ve put together a range of ideas and resources on how to keep your energy up, creativity flowing and stay healthy. For example our partners Table Tennis England have launched nine videos so you can still get involved while at home. We’ve even got links to workouts and yoga sessions!

Start with our Challenge 21: simple exercises for your body and mind during this time. Can you keep up?

Spark your creativity

There are many creative activities you can practice or even take up at home without needing a lot of materials.

Art  – Art takes more forms than just drawing (although there is that too!). Why not try making a collage out of old magazines or newspapers in the house, abstract painting, or sculpture making out of materials in your recycling. Need some inspiration? Try 64 Million Artists’ Daily Art Challenge!

Music –  You don’t need your own musical instrument to make music, there are several free music-making programmes online, such as Magix Music Maker or  ScoreCloud (other software is also available). 

Vlogging – Now might be the time to start recording and editing those videos you’ve been meaning to. Share your voice with the world in a different way. We’ve trained thousands of young people in the art of vlogging through our partnership with the Media Trust in the Vlogstar Challenge. Why not put your skills to use and tell us what you’re grateful for. Read about our 21 Days of Gratitude campaign below.

21 Days of Gratitude 

The Jack Petchey Foundation are challenging you to get involved with 21 Days of Gratitude. Choose a starting date this week and think of one thing you are grateful for every day.

These may be things we cannot access at the moment, and in reflection we see how wonderful they are. On the other hand they might be something that we’re really enjoying right now.

Write one down every day, and share them with us using the hashtag #21DaysOfGratitude

Tag us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Engage with your local community

So many people are performing incredible acts of kindness over this time – from collecting vital supplies for neighbours to sharing positive news.

Take a look around and think what the people might need around you. Older people are some of the most isolated in the community during this time, and we at the Jack Petchey Foundation want to encourage you to get in touch.

If you have a neighbour, relative or family friend who is over 70 call them to check on them. Tell them about how they have impacted upon your life – maybe you remember playing games with them, or you’ve always been inspired by something they’ve told you, or maybe they taught you a new skill. We want to hear these inspirations, so connect with us on social media and use the hashtag #InspiringMyGeneration.

If you have been inspired by Sir Jack himself, send him a message! Use the hashtag #InspiringMyGeneration and address your posts to Sir Jack and we will pass them on to him! He loves hearing from the young people we work with. Or if your message is too long, feel free to email pr@petchey.co.uk with the subject “Sir Jack”.

We will pass all these stories on to Sir Jack himself! 

Tag us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s what Sir Jack’s grandson Matt (pictured above) said: “Grandad has inspired me in many ways but bar far the most inspiring is his positive outlook on life. From as far back as I can remember he has always encouraged us to focus on the positive of any situation. A Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) can be applied to any part of your work or personal life- it makes you a more positive person both with yourself and others. The principal of having a positive mental attitude is such an important one, it’s the foundation of our motto here at the Jack Petchey Foundation, “If you think you can, you can!”

Get involved with the Jack Petchey Foundation

Enter #TheGoodInWhereILive competition to win £250!

We’re 21 – send us a birthday card!

Write for our website – we are always looking for young writers. If you are aged between 11 and 25 and live in London or Essex, email pr@petchey.co.uk if you would like to write a blog for us!

It can be about how you are staying busy, motivated or inspired during this time, or your proudest achievement/the biggest challenge you’ve overcome. Email us with your thoughts and we will send you a template if you need help!

Resources for parents

Keeping your child motivated

It can be hard to keep your children motivated right now. We’ve got some quick tips and resources for you to help them manage their time while away from school.

1) Manage your expectations – your children will not be learning at the same pace or same concentration as at school. Don’t schedule in a normal time, start with just 2-3 hours a day with regular scheduled breaks to keep them focused.

2) Make time for relaxation and fun – take any opportunity to have fun together, as well as relax together. The best way to combat stress is to make time to just be together.

3) Keep a routine – try to get everyone on the same schedule by keeping start times, finish times and lunch breaks as consistent as possible. This will help your children (and you) separate concentration time from relaxation.

4) Review your school plans with your children – some schools have sent out specific work for students to do, whereas others have left more general instructions. Go over the resources provided with your child and discuss what should be prioritised.

How to keep your child active and happy

The Scouts have put together an impressive interactive page of resources centred on doing things indoors. ‘The Great Indoors’ is a great way to keep your children busy whilst they are at home!

If your child suffers from anxiety and this is made worse by the current circumstances, here are some tips on how to help them manage this.

If your child has SEND, then here is an excellent explanation of what the virus is to help them understand.

Find out more about our full range of opportunities

At the Jack Petchey Foundation we have a wide range of opportunities for schools, youth organisations and young people to be a part of. We have various schemes for schools and youth organisations to run, which award young people and leaders as well as offer grants to enhance learning further. We also work with many partners to deliver programmes, from art to vlogging and engineering to dance.