The Place2Be works in schools to improve children's emotional well-being and the whole school community. A visit was made to Niddrie Mill Primary School in Edinburgh, where the author attended as a child. The Place2Be helps children explore problems through talking and play to prevent mental health issues later. Children and a parent spoke about how Place2Be support helped them. The head teacher saw educational and community benefits, and a volunteer student was moved to tears by helping children and her own growth. All involved benefit from the charity's work.

1. Making a lifetime of difference to children in schools
The Place2Be, 13/14 Angel Gate, 326 City Road, London EC1V 2PT
Tel: 020 7923 5500 Fax: 020 7833 8083 Email: enquiries@theplace2be.org.uk
Niddrie Mill is The Place2Be
Stephen Dunn, Group HR Director, The Miller Group
Testimonial following a Being is Believing school visit to Niddrie Mill Primary
School, Edinburgh, February 2011
It was over 40 years ago that I left Niddrie Mill Primary School in Craigmillar to look forward to
secondary school at the nearby Niddrie Marshall High, soon to be renamed Castlebrae Community
High School. The original primary school was based in a fine Victorian building which was built
using ‘niddrie bricks’, reflecting the industrial nature of the area in the 1890’s. Niddrie and
Craigmillar were a hive of industry with creameries, breweries, biscuit factories and mines, as well
as the brick works. Being on the rural edge of Edinburgh, the boundary between housing and
farmland became less defined as the need to house a booming Edinburgh population started to
take precedence. The rural history of the area was reflected on the school badge by a hay bale
and I still recall harvest festival celebrations taking place in the late 1960’s.
This was all fine until industry started to diminish and the lack of local opportunities led to the
inevitable rise in unemployment. This in turn led to deprivation and a reputation for being a
troubled area with troubled residents; indeed many troubled families were moved from other parts
of the City into Craigmillar which served to merely worsen the reputation. Over the years, as
unemployment and the lack of opportunities have become endemic, this poor reputation has
become worse.
My own memories, whilst dimmed by time, are less stark. I could never say the area was a rose
garden but it did have a real sense of community. Yes, a fine turn of pace or a quick tongue could
get you out of bother and having pals in the football team who were rough and tough did help on
occasions but it never ever felt other than a community where people looked out for each other.
Indeed I would say that I learned more lessons in Niddrie about how to cope in corporate life than I
ever did at any fancy executive development programme.
Today, it seems things are different, although the key underlying problem, in my view, remains
consistent and that is the lack of opportunity. The opportunity to be: the opportunity to hope: the
opportunity to have greater self worth through employment. Without opportunity it seems to me
that any problems you may have are magnified and become all consuming. Hard to take as an
adult: but absolutely crushing for a child.
I attended a ‘Being is Believing’ school visit organised by one of our nominated charities, The
Place2Be, held at my old school. Reading the charity’s aims from their website does not really
give you the full story but experiencing directly the impact their work has during this school visit is
perhaps one of the most uplifting things I have done in recent times and certainly one of the most
emotional.
The Place2Be works inside schools to improve the emotional well-being of children, their families
and the whole school community. It was established in 1994 in response to increasing concern
www.theplace2be.org.uk
Registered office address: The Place2Be, 13/14 Angel Gate, 326 City Road, London EC1V 2PT Tel: 020 7923 5500.
Registered charity number 1040756 (England and Wales) SC038649 (Scotland). Registered Company number 2876150.

2. about the extent and depth of emotional and behavioural difficulties displayed in classrooms and
playgrounds. Giving children the chance to explore their problems through talking, creative work
and play, enables them to cope now and make better-informed decisions about their lives and help
prevent more serious mental health and behavioural problems in later life. When children are
happier and less preoccupied with problems, they find it easier to learn and so their educational
chances are much enhanced.
The real impact of The Place2Be’s involvement in Niddrie Mill Primary can only really be felt by
hearing from those directly involved and those who have benefited from its involvement in their
lives. The children, as children do, stole the show by bravely telling their story and how things
have changed for them and how they, through talk and support, are making sense of their lives
and learning new ways of dealing with issues far beyond their years. A parent, who had been able
to start to change her life, and the life of her child, as a result of her involvement with Place2Be’s
therapists and the support and guidance they could provide. The Head Teacher was able to point
directly to benefits the school had seen both as an educational institution but also more importantly
as a school community.
Finally, and for me, another true measure of the impact and benefit of this work was encapsulated
by the volunteer worker, an Edinburgh University student studying child psychology, who was so
moved by the work she was doing with Place2Be that she was barely able to hold back her tears.
Along with pride and honour in being able to help and support her clients she cited her personal
growth coming from the work she was doing. This symbiotic relationship means that everyone is a
winner; everyone grows and benefits from the work being carried out by this magnificent charity.
‘Symbiotic’ now there is a word that nobody expected from ‘a boy frae Niddrie’.
www.theplace2be.org.uk
Registered office address: The Place2Be, 13/14 Angel Gate, 326 City Road, London EC1V 2PT Tel: 020 7923 5500.
Registered charity number 1040756 (England and Wales) SC038649 (Scotland). Registered Company number 2876150.