A seventeen-year-old schoolgirl has published a new book which explores the issue of mental health among young people.

Safiyya Hanslod is a student at St. Wilfrid’s Academy, and a member of West End Girls (WEGs), a group run by One Voice Blackburn.

Sam’s Diaries, charts the story of Samantha and her battle with anxiety. It is part of a four-book series which is written by the teenager with an initial 3,000 copies being distributed to primary school children in Blackburn and Darwen.

One Voice Blackburn have been working in emotional health and wellbeing for over a decade through their Baiter Sehat (Better Health) programme. The charity is currently working with the Lancashire and South Cumbria’s Integrated Care Board and Spring North in delivering projects aimed at training professionals into how to deal with mental health patients in the NHS and other agencies.

One Voice also conduct projects with Lancashire Mind and Blackburn with Darwen’s Public Health department. The charity hosts a range of men and women’s groups supporting people with negative mental health.

Safiyya Hanslod has been a part of One Voice Blackburn for five years participating in the award-winning WEGs group, before becoming a youth leader within the organisation in the last 12 months. Safiyya has a keen interest in mental health and last year conducted a project on eating disorders. 

“I am really excited to see the book published after all our hard work,” says Safiyya who is hoping to go onto study medicine next year. “This is a subject close to my heart and I hope that my work can support young children who are suffering from anxiety or other forms of mental health.”