AT The Bus are a small charity using art as therapy to bring mental health support directly to young people in school. The need for their work has risen dramatically as a consequence of Covid, and now the cost of living crisis, and it is a challenging time for many young people.
The grant from Project Spark helped AT The Bus to establish a new studio at Greyfriars Catholic School in Oxford and provided a term’s worth of work with 40 children per week from years 7,8.9 – each attending weekly group sessions for at least one school term. Greyfriars is a school with high levels of need with many children facing additional challenges that makes attending and engaging at school difficult. The headteacher regards the involvement of AT The Bus as a fundamental element of the school’s improvement journey.
“To have this built into our school is a compelling acknowledgement of what art can bring to students’ lives in school and, in turn, in their lives beyond.”
Lyndsey Caldwell Headteacher, Greyfriars School, Oxford
