Our Impact
Why improving self-belief is important
Self-belief defines how a person feels about themselves, their confidence and their abilities and is a core part of being mentally healthy. The modern world’s increased measure of a young person’s academic achievement, coupled with the heightened personal expectations that can be caused by social media and “comparison-it is”, is resulting in too many moving through their formative years with a diminished sense of self-belief.
Improved self-esteem leads to higher levels of wellbeing, reduced stress, better relationships and improved resilience.
Stark statistics from 2023 report that:
Mental health
1 in 5 young people aged 8-25 suffer from a probable mental health disorder – up from 1 in 9 in 2017 (NHS Digital UK Survey 2023).
Specialist support
Only 23% of staff in schools said they had regularly been able to access specialist support for pupils with mental health needs.
Stress
90% of school leaders reported an increase in the number of students experiencing stress over the last 5 years. (YoungMinds Wise 2023)
Access
66% of teachers didn’t feel there was enough access to mental health support services for young people (NEU -April 2023).
Introducing the Balloon...
Our messages are based on the idea that we all have a metaphorical ‘balloon’ within us. When this is full of air, we have self-confidence and we are resilient. When our balloon is deflated it can be hard to feel good about ourselves and have an “I Can” attitude.
Those that interact with the charity learn simple tools for how to keep their balloons inflated. These include helping to recognise skills and qualities beyond those typically measured in school or by society. This helps develop a broader scope of possibilities for where future ‘success’ may lie, thereby increasing hope for the future.
Our goal is to inflate as many balloons as we can through our talks, bus workshops and resources as possible – supported by corporate sponsors and our fundraising events.
100
Schools visited each year
11,000
Visitors to the bus each year
4.78
…out of 5 from bus visitors
Help Us to Inflate More Balloons!
See the difference we've made in communities. Explore our success stories and learn how your involvement can further our mission. Join us in creating positive change!
Get involvedPreparing for the Future
Part of our charity’s ethos is the importance of moving forward – one step at a time.
What is clear is that our messages and model are relevant, always well received and very necessary.
One thing is for certain - the need for mental health support and the building of resilience in young people isn’t going to go away any time soon. I Can & I Am is therefore committed to continue to reach as many young people as we can over the coming years.
