Young People’s Mental Health Archives - Focusing Minds CIC

Councillor David Hunter Takes on Wakefield Cathedral Abseil for Focusing Minds

Focusing Minds CIC — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Wakefield Cathedral Charity Abseil: David Hunter Supports Focusing Minds

Local councillor David Hunter has completed the Wakefield Cathedral charity abseil to raise funds for Focusing Minds CIC.

David joined other councillors in taking on the annual city-centre challenge, with more than £4,000 raised for charities and good causes across Wakefield.

His support also marks an important first for Focusing Minds. David is the first person outside our organisation to undertake a sponsored event specifically to raise funds for our work.

David Hunter Takes on the Wakefield Cathedral Charity Abseil

The Wakefield Cathedral charity abseil is an annual fundraising challenge in the heart of Wakefield city centre.

This year’s event took place on Saturday 19 September 2026. Participants faced an impressive 164-foot (50-metre) descent from the Cathedral tower.

Getting to the starting point was a challenge in itself. Before beginning their descent, participants had to climb 170 narrow medieval stone spiral steps to reach the tower platform. Qualified instructors were then on hand to guide them safely back to the ground.

Each participant could choose a charity or cause that mattered to them. This meant the event supported organisations working across a range of different areas.

David chose Focusing Minds CIC as the cause he wanted to support.

Why David Chose to Support Focusing Minds

David considers the mental health, wellbeing and development of children and young people extremely important.

This also connects closely with his responsibilities at Wakefield Council. David currently serves as Deputy Portfolio Holder for Children & Young People. Wakefield Council confirms that each of its nine portfolio holders has a deputy, with David supporting the Children and Young People portfolio.

His interest in supporting young people also has a clear connection with the work of Focusing Minds.

We provide early-entry mental health, wellbeing and personal development support for children and young people. Much of our work takes place within schools and local communities.

Our aim is to offer support at an earlier stage. We want young people to have opportunities to talk, develop strategies and better understand the challenges they face.

Ultimately, we want to help young people make progress.

David’s decision to support Focusing Minds through the Wakefield Cathedral charity abseil helps us continue this work.

A Fundraising First for Focusing Minds

David’s challenge also represents an important milestone for our organisation.

Members of the Focusing Minds team have previously completed their own fundraising challenges. However, David is the first person from outside Focusing Minds to independently undertake a sponsored event to raise money for our cause.

We are extremely pleased to see our work inspire this kind of support.

As a Community Interest Company, additional fundraising can help us create more opportunities for children and young people. It can also support our ambition to make early help more accessible within local communities.

David’s efforts therefore mean a great deal to everyone involved with Focusing Minds.

Thank You, David

Everyone at Focusing Minds would like to say a huge thank you to Councillor David Hunter for choosing to support us.

Completing the Wakefield Cathedral charity abseil was an impressive challenge. More importantly for us, David chose to use that challenge to support the mental health, wellbeing and development of local young people.

We would also like to congratulate everyone who took part in the event and helped raise money for charities and good causes across Wakefield.

For Focusing Minds, we hope David’s challenge is the start of something new.

We would love to see more individuals, schools, businesses and community groups developing their own fundraising ideas in the future.

Every contribution can help us reach more young people, provide more early support and continue our mission:

to make progress.

Supporting Young People's Mental Health in Wakefield

Focusing Minds provides early-entry mental health, wellbeing and personal development support for children and young people across Wakefield and surrounding areas.

Our work includes 1:1 student support, mentoring, emotional wellbeing support and personal development. We work with schools to identify needs early and give young people practical strategies that can help them make progress.

Fundraising is important because it can help us take this support beyond commissioned services. It can create more opportunities to reach young people and families within local communities.

This is one reason David’s support means so much to us. His role as Deputy Portfolio Holder for Children & Young People also gives the partnership a strong connection to the needs of young people across Wakefield.

Could You Fundraise for Focusing Minds?

We also hope David’s Wakefield Cathedral charity abseil might inspire other people to develop their own fundraising ideas.

And don’t worry – fundraising for Focusing Minds does not have to involve abseiling 164 feet down the side of a Cathedral!

A sponsored walk or run could make a difference. Schools, businesses and community groups could organise their own fundraising activities. Individuals might even have a unique challenge of their own in mind.

Big or small, fundraising activities can help us continue supporting children and young people.

They can also help us develop new opportunities within the communities we serve.

If David’s efforts have inspired an idea, we would love to hear from you.

Interested in fundraising for Focusing Minds?

If you have a fundraising idea or would like to support our work with children and young people, we would love to hear from you. Whether you’re an individual, school, local business or community group, your support could help us create more opportunities for young people to access early help.

Focusing Minds Support at Trinity Academy St Edwards

Focusing Minds CIC — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Focusing Minds is delighted to continue its partnership with Trinity Academy St Edwards (TASE) for a fourth consecutive academic year.

The partnership has already had a positive impact on students across the school. Through our service, young people can access mental health, wellbeing and personal development support when they need it.

The school has also increased its commitment to the service. In fact, Trinity Academy St Edwards has doubled its use of Focusing Minds support over the last 18 months.

This growth shows how highly the school values the service. More importantly, it allows more students to access support.

Supporting student mental health and wellbeing

Focusing Minds provides flexible support for students at Trinity Academy St Edwards.

Every young person is different. Therefore, we shape our support around the needs and goals of each student.

Sessions can focus on mental health and emotional wellbeing. We can also help with confidence, behaviour, relationships and personal development.

Some students may find it hard to engage with school. In these cases, our support can help them explore the challenges they face.

Our approach puts the young person at the centre of each session. This gives students time to talk about the issues that matter to them.

Together, we can then explore practical strategies and realistic goals. This can help students build confidence and recognise their progress.

A valued partnership with Trinity Academy St Edwards

The school’s continued investment is a strong sign of its confidence in Focusing Minds.

Principal Mark Allen speaks highly of the support and the impact it has within the school. He also values the way Andy works with students and builds positive relationships with them.

Trust is an important part of our work.

Therefore, we aim to create a safe and supportive space for each student. This can make it easier for young people to talk about difficult experiences.

Students can then explore ways to manage challenges and make positive progress.

Growing support for students at TASE

The growth of our service at Trinity Academy St Edwards is very encouraging.

In just 18 months, the school has doubled its use of Focusing Minds support. As a result, more students can access one-to-one help.

This growth also shows the strength of our partnership with the school.

Most importantly, it reflects the school’s commitment to student mental health and wellbeing. It also goes beyond the school’s statutory requirements.

Continuing our work into the future

Focusing Minds is proud to support Trinity Academy St Edwards for a fourth consecutive year.

We are delighted that this partnership will continue. We also look forward to building on the progress already made.

Our aim is simple.

We want to help young people build confidence and resilience. We also want them to develop skills that can help them make progress.

Mental health and wellbeing support for schools

Focusing Minds provides mental health, wellbeing and personal development support for children and young people.

We work with schools to provide flexible support for their students. Each service can be shaped around the needs of the school and its young people.

If your school needs additional student wellbeing or mental health support, please get in touch with Focusing Minds.

You can also visit our Education Services page to learn more about our work with schools.

We would be happy to discuss how Focusing Minds could support your school community. Please contact us today to discover how.