Adrianna Lloyd of Hendred Estates, Oxfordshire is supporting her son Daniel a Year 13 student based in Didcot, Oxfordshire. After losing his best friend in 2019 he’s made it his personal mission to highlight youth mental health and help local schools, groups and students by providing school essentials and helping with budgeting cuts.
In 2019 he ran a 5k obstacle colour run and raised £460 for the pediatric intensive care unit who cared for his friend. He then spent the summer baking and selling cakes and had a big cake sale and raffle to raise money for teacher training. Along with the hospital money, £1,750 was raised.
In January 2020 Markers for Mindfulness was started. daniel wanted to help local schools who are affected by budget cuts, ease the burden and raise awareness for student mental well-being.
Markers for Mindfulness has been encouraging the local community to recycle unwanted items such as pens and pencils, as well as donating new ones (glue sticks, notebooks, pens, whiteboard markers etc) all to be sent out to primary schools in Oxfordshire most affected by government funding cuts. By providing underfunded schools with basics, he hoped to help the schools free up a small amount of budget to be used for student mental well-being and support, but also take the opportunity to raise the important issue of youth mental health with the schools and students. These packages have been received with such surprise and overwhelming emotion by staff and the students.