Brianna Ghey's mum urges government to introduce mindfulness to all schools

The mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey is urging the government to roll out her mental wellbeing in schools campaign.

Esther Ghey says mindfulness helped her through the darkest time of her life, and it should be available to help pupils deal with anxiety and stress.

Her campaign has already been introduced at her daughter's former school.

Ms Ghey said: "Before Brianna was murdered she really struggled with her mental health.

"She had an eating disorder, she was self harming and she had anxiety to the point where she was refusing to come to school."

Brianna , 16, was killed in a "frenzied and ferocious" attack after being lured to Culcheth Linear Park, in Warrington, on 11 February 2023.

Ms Ghey has been raising money to bring mindfulness into schools across the country through her campaign, Peace in Mind.

It had already been introduced at Brianna's school, Birchwood Community High School.

Mindfulness is a calming technique -the charity Mind says it involves noticing what is happening in the present moment, without judgment.

Ms Ghey said: "I have practised mindfulness for ten years now and I know how much mindfulness helps with mental resilience, empathy and self compassion.

"After Brianna’s death I realised so many other young people are really struggling and I think its really important to get mindfulness into schools at a young age so we can help young people with their mental health and also build empathy and unity within our communities."

"I know that mindfulness has enabled me to build a level of mental resilience and I liken it to mental strength just as if you were to go to the gym and build muscle through resistance training," she said.

"It's the same kind of thing, but for your mind."

"In the past I have struggled with mental health issues and I know if what happened to Brianna happened to me then, before I had the mindfulness tools in place, then it would have been a completely different story and I really do believe that mindfulness saved me."

To date the peace and mind campaign set up in Brianna’s memory has raised more than a hundred thousand pounds - enough to train a mindfulness teacher in every school in Warrington.

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