A former teacher turned holistic therapist has launched a new project designed to help children improve their mental health.

Debbie Ross spent many years working as a teaching assistant, nursery nurse and special educational needs coordinator at Spofforth Church of England Primary School.

Among her favourite memories was a trip to Bewerley Park outdoor education centre, when she and the pupils enjoyed a guided meditation session. She said:

“The children are now grown up with their own children, but I’m still in touch with some and they remember doing it. It’s something they enjoyed and they’re now using those skills as adults.”

Now a holistic therapist and reiki practitioner, Debbie, who lives in Ripon, has created her own guided meditations designed to help children aged between five and 12 to relax.

She said each of them encourages the child to visualise a scene and use their imagination to help calm their minds. Debbie has paired each meditation with a crystal to add to the experience.

She said:

“I’m really driven to use crystals with the meditation. They’re very tactile and if the children learn what the crystal can help them with, they have got something to take away with them.

“Some children take the sodalite crystal into school with them because it’s small. They’ve all said it really helps them to stay calm.”

Read more:

• Book collection launched across district to support teenagers’ mental health
• Nidderdale adventure facility says head outdoors to improve mental health

Research has shown that the covid pandemic has had a negative impact on children’s mental health, with one in six having a diagnosable mental health condition in 2021 compared to one in nine just four years earlier.

Debbie said she hopes her guided crystal meditations will help children to develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

She is speaking to local schools about introducing them for their pupils and also hopes to approach hospitals about using them for young patients.

Meanwhile, they are also available on Debbie’s website.

The modern world can feel like a busy place for children, so a former headteacher of Grove Road Community Primary School has created a CD of non-religious meditations to help them live in the moment.

The health benefits of meditation for adults are well documented. It can relieve stress, lower blood pressure and alleviate depression.

But studies have also shown that teaching children how to meditate can help them become more secure and happy in themselves.

Nigel Steele was a popular headteacher of Grove Road from 1977 to 1994 before retiring.

In the 1980s and 90s, he saw how technology was beginning to have more influence in children’s lives, and not always for the better.

Fast forward to today, many parents are concerned about the amount of screen time that children are exposed to every day.

Mr Steele said:

“I noticed it as a head, children were beginning to be absorbed by something on a screen. It was having an effect on how their minds were developing. 

“‘You are what you eat’ is a very common expression, to do with our diet and the way our bodies develop. Another thing that isn’t quite as common, ‘all that you do begins in your mind’.”

Read more:

• Harrogate support group launched for pupils moving up from primary to secondary school

• Free school meals children will not face stigma, says North Yorkshire County Council

Mr Steele wrote 42 guided meditations that he would use in assembly each week at Grove Road, with the children sitting quietly and taking in simple concepts like peace, breathing and relaxation.

The meditations would include things the children could envisage in their minds such as autumn leaves, waterfalls or blades of grass.

Mr Steele said:

“It gave them a positive influence. We spent all this time developing children’s minds, it was amazing how influential in children’s minds, as we get more and more developed in technology.”

The teacher has fond memories of his time at Grove Road and said the meditations were one of the most rewarding things about his 17 years at the school. He added:

“I got quite a lot of feedback from children about how much better they felt when they had an assembly with a meditation, and how much better they felt when they went to bed at night. Their mind could escape into these situations and concepts.”

If you would like a copy of the CD which includes nine meditations and an accompanying booklet, you can email Howard Quinn at howard.quinn@dechen.org

One of the meditations is available to read below:

Family and friends of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw celebrated his life at a funeral in Bilton this morning.

A procession led by motorbikes, including some Harley-Davidsons, set off from the family home on Woodfield Road and arrived at St John’s and St Luke’s Church for the 11am service.

The service was broadcast live on the church’s Facebook page and can still be viewed there.

A wake was held afterwards at The Empress on the Stray.

Aaron Bertenshaw died suddenly last month.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died suddenly aged 26 last month. He had struggled with diabetes and mental health issues.

Read more:

• Jam session at Blues Bar tonight in memory of Aaron Bertenshaw
• Fund set up in memory of Harrogate musician Aaron Bertenshaw

Sammy Oates, Aaron’s mother, set up a fundraising page to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems. That fundraiser is currently on £6,910.

The family said donations at the service would go to Diabetes UK and CALM, the campaign against living miserably.

Ms Oates is now campaigning for extra support for those who struggle with diabetes and mental health. She told the Stray Ferret previously:

“Aaron touched a lot of lives. He was only 26 but packed a lot in. He also worked as a barber and played rugby for Otley when he was young.

“He was such a bright shining star and an absolute social butterfly. Everyone knew him and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

“What I remember most is his smile. He had the most infectious smile. There was always a twinkle in the eyes.”

A memorial service celebrating the life of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw will be held at St John’s Church in Bilton on January 4.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died suddenly aged 26 this month. He had struggled with diabetes and mental health issues.

Sammy Oates, his mother, said everyone was welcome to attend the service, which begins at 11am. A wake will be held afterwards at The Empress on the Stray.

Donations will go to Diabetes UK and CALM, the campaign against living miserably.

Sammy added the church has capacity inside for 160 people and the event would also be livestreamed because Aaron had family in New Zealand and South Africa.

She said the service would be an upbeat celebration of Aaron’s life and asked people not to wear black suits. Aaron loved tweed and Sammy suggested this as a possible alternative.

A fundraising page set up by Sammy to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems has so far raised over £5,000. You can donate here.

Read more:

• Fund set up in memory of Harrogate musician Aaron Bertenshaw
• Charity Corner: at the forefront of mental health support during covid

Sammy said she planned to raise the issue of diabetes and mental health to parliament as part of her campaign to fund a service that treats both illnesses together.

She is trying to find a counsellor within a 20-mile radius of Harrogate who is either diabetic or understands the disease.

Anyone who can help put her in touch with a suitably qualified person can contact her on social media or email us and we will forward on messages. You can email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Aaron was a popular figure on the Harrogate district music scene. He was a regular at the Blues Bar, where he first performed and at many other venues, such as Hales Bar.