Students from Blythe Bridge High School in Stoke-on-Trent have turned a national competition win into a project that’s now helping schools across the country.
After winning the Oli Leigh Challenge at The National Careers Challenge Finals 2025, the team officially launched Mindful Mondays on 10th October, to mark World Mental Health Day.
The launch was attended by Councillor Adam Parks of Staffordshire Moorlands council, Michelle Leigh (founder of the Oli Leigh Trust), representatives from The Inspirational Learning Group (TILG), and the students’ proud parents and teachers.
Mindful Mondays encourages pupils to take time each week to reflect on how they’re feeling, take part in short mindfulness activities, and talk openly about mental health.
The idea began as part of the Oli Leigh Challenge, delivered by TILG with the Oli Leigh Trust, which asked students nationwide to design resources that could support wellbeing in schools or local communities.
With help from Rebecca Clarke, Head of Education and Curriculum at TILG, the concept has developed into a digital resource now available FREE to all UK schools through TILG’s Lightbulb platform. Resources include teacher guides, posters, presentations, and staff training, supporting schools to meet the Department for Education’s new RSHE guidance, which now requires suicide prevention and mental health education to be embedded within the curriculum.
Speaking at the launch, Michelle Leigh, founder of The Oli Leigh Trust, praised the team for turning tragedy into action:
“Oli’s legacy is about saving lives through early education and conversation. Seeing these students take that message forward in such a meaningful way is incredibly special.”
Councillor Adam Parks added:
“This is an inspiring example of what happens when young people are empowered to lead the way on important issues. Blythe Bridge should be extremely proud.”
The Mindful Mondays app is currently in development, with plans for release in 2026, giving students the chance to access activities independently.Schools can access all resources for free here:
https://form.jotform.com/242493051403347
