St Dunstan’s College announces keynote speaker for upcoming Youth Mental Health Summit

St Dunstan’s College, Catford, south London, is delighted to announce writer and broadcaster Sam Delaney will be the keynote speaker for their upcoming Youth Mental Health Summit in October. 

Following last year’s inaugural event, St Dunstan’s will be joined by Sam Delaney, who has worked in British media for more than 25 years. His writing on mental health has appeared in The Guardian and The Telegraph, and his podcast, Reset, has more than 1 million listeners. He has also presented documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, and Channel 5. 

This year’s Summit, which takes place on Friday 7 October, will bring students together from across the country. The free event is aimed at students in Year 10, 11 and 12, and is open to all schools. 

Speaking about the upcoming Summit, St Dunstan’s Deputy Head Pastoral, Jade McLellan, said:

‘We are delighted to announce the return of St Dunstan’s annual Youth Mental Health Summit. Last year’s event saw students from both state and independent schools working together to generate a vision for promoting wellbeing and raising mental health awareness amongst young people. 

 ‘This year’s event will see a new line up of speakers, seminars and workshops to inspire students: a much-needed resource at a time when young people’s mental health continues to be under assault due the impact of global pressures and the shortfall in adolescent mental health support.’ 

Earlier this year, St Dunstan’s College was named Independent Senior School of the Year at the Tes Awards 2022, which are known as the Oscars of education.  

Judge David James has worked in independent schools for over 20 years and is an experienced inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. He said:

‘There’s a very clear and coherent vision of what they want to do, both with the curriculum and the local community. 

‘The head is asking interesting questions of the sector, including areas like privilege and responsibility, which go beyond the usual platitudes. It’s a really interesting school in a tough market, trying to not just survive but actually make something different for the children and families they’re working with.’ 

Tickets are free of charge, with each school allocated six student tickets and one staff ticket. Booking can be made on St Dunstan’s website: www.stdunstans.org.uk.