Street artists create graffiti mural at Leeds skate park for Mental Health Awareness week

A colourful new graffiti mural has sprung up at a city skate park to help raise awareness of mental health among children and young people in Leeds.
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As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year runs from May 10-16, health chiefs in the city have joined forces with a group of street artists in Leeds to create a new mural at LS Ten Skate Park in Hunslet.

Leeds Street Gallery, a group of artists who curate legal street art across the city, has worked on the project with MindMate, the website which hosts a wealth of resources for young people and parents in Leeds to use for support and advice on mental health.

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As well as the graffiti mural, MindMate is also working with Urban Bike Park on ways to promote the website’s resources for the awareness-raising week.

Leeds Street Gallery has created a graffiti mural at LS Ten skate park to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.Leeds Street Gallery has created a graffiti mural at LS Ten skate park to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.
Leeds Street Gallery has created a graffiti mural at LS Ten skate park to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.

Jayne Bathgate-Roche, of NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group which commissions MindMate, said: “We are pleased to be raising awareness of children and young people’s mental health for this very important week.

“It is important that we speak openly about mental health so that more children and young people feel able to speak about how they are feeling to others and most importantly, seek help when they need it.

“The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week this year is nature and we know that spending time outdoors has been a significant part of children’s lives over the past year or so.

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“We are working with LS Ten skate park and Urban Bike Park, because connecting with others in the community and keeping active are both vital for a young person’s mental health.

“I encourage children and young people to speak about how they are feeling, whether it be within the family, to a friend, a teacher, or a health professional.

“Adults such as parents and teachers can support this too.

“The MindMate website has a wealth of resources that children, young people and parents can use for support and advice, as well as directing them to local services.

“We know it’s not always easy to talk about mental health, but we want to encourage children and young people to have open conversations about their wellbeing, and to reach out for help when they need it.”

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The Yorkshire Evening Post has continued to shine a light on the issue of mental health through our #SpeakYourMind campaign which was first launched in 2017 and is now timelier than ever.

Tosh Wilson from LS Ten skate park said: “We’re really proud to support MindMate during National Mental Health Awareness Week.

“Having the mural and supporting communications here is really important to us, it's raising awareness to all our visitors that help and support is out there if you need it.”

MindMate has also worked closely with Magpie, an award-winning behaviour change agency in Leeds, to arrange the activity.

Visit the Mindmate website at www.mindmate.org.uk/