Esther Ghey supports mindfulness lessons at daughter's school

The mother of a teenager who was murdered said she hopes mindfulness lessons at her daughter's former school can help students overcome the "trauma" of her death.

Students at Birchwood Community High School are being taught techniques to help calm racing thoughts.

Brianna Ghey's mother Esther said she relied on the technique to help her with her grief.

Brianna was murdered in a park in Warrington in February 2023.

"What happened to Brianna will have caused some trauma for the students, and the teachers as well," Ms Ghey said.

"I think bringing mindfulness in will benefit the children massively."

Ms Ghey is raising money to bring mindfulness into schools across the country in Brianna's memory through her campaign Peace in Mind, which has already raised over £85,000 towards training teachers in the practice.

"I think it's most important to get it into primary schools, as children are so much more susceptible at that age," she said.

"But in high schools too, teenagers will pick up things that will help them in later life.

"It's about making sure everybody has access to these tools that can help them strengthen their mental health."

Students are being taught to recognise tension in their bodies and focus on their breathing to help stay calm.

Year 7 student Charlie Bowerman has taken part in the lessons.

"I find it helpful," he said.

"I do have a bit of stress quite often. Say if something stressful is happening in a lesson, or there's a big crowd around you, you can learn to take a few deep breaths."

His classmate, Skylar Cross, said the mindfulness techniques were helping with his insomnia. Others said it has helped them start talking about their mental health with their friends.

Head teacher Emma Mills has been working with Esther on the Peace in Mind campaign. She also brought additional training and sessions into the school with funding from the One Community Trust.

She said she wanted mindfulness to be a part of the school's daily timetable by the start of the next school year.

"Quite often in schools you get situations where the children might be wound up, they might not agree with something, there might have been a fall out with a friend," she said.

"The staff being aware of how to use mindfulness to make sure that conversation doesn't happen until the child has calmed down and is able to reflect, is obviously really beneficial.

"There's been a spike in mental health concerns across young people - and we're not immune to that in Birchwood.

"The things we used to do in schools perhaps need to change - because society has changed, times have changed, life experiences have changed."

Ms Ghey said she hoped the mindfulness, and any positive impact it brings, would be a way to remember Brianna.

"If we can make a change and make things better for young people and their mental health - and not only for young people, for their families as well - then for me that's Brianna living on," she said.

"It means her death wasn't for nothing."

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