Each week we will be bringing you the voice of one of the young people we are working with at the Jack Petchey Foundation to share their thoughts, ideas and tips about staying home. This week’s is from Sammy Ongar, age 13, a member of Epping Forest Youth Council who recently created a film about their experience of COVID-19, supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation.

Sammy shared his experience of lockdown so far, what he misses and how he’s staying resilient.

Hello, my name is Sammy and I am a member of the Epping Forest Youth Council. The Youth Council strives to give all young people in the community a voice and we aim to ensure equality is always our number one goal.

I have the privilege of informing you about my personal experiences from the lockdown as a young person’s perspective, this may be eye opening for some to realise the impact of being indoors for too long will have on our mental health. Young people are social beings and when our freedom is taken away it is going to have mental health repercussions for many.

My teachers have definitely helped me gain confidence in myself and I miss them all. I also miss my friends, as it has not been the same talking to them over a screen, but I know we will all aim to be together very soon and I’m looking forward to that day.

My first day in lockdown was really stressful.It was like all good things had been taken away without a time of their return. I was anxious and scared. I know though that I would always keep trying until the outcome meets my expectations, I was never going to let this affect me and put me down. I had to work hard and prove not just to my family, friends and teachers, but to myself that I could get through this and prove my individuality.

As time went on, I had a few moments where I thought I would be overwhelmed to do my work to the standard I like. However, with my family surrounding me and trying my hardest to get through this, I managed to overcome that feeling.

This was a huge stepping stone for me as I originally believed I would struggle immensely during this lockdown, as I love the outdoors and to explore and meet with my friends.

Watch Epping Forest Youth Council’s COVID Video

What’s your experience of staying home in the lockdown? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share, or some resources you think others would find useful?

We want to hear from you! Email pr@petchey.co.uk with the subject line “blog post” and your idea for a blog and we’ll get back to you on how to get involved!

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