Young people across the globe look forward to prom as an important event in their lives.
The American-born tradition provides teenagers with the perfect excuse to get dressed up and dance the night away. However, for many of the young people in our care, prom is a milestone they may have missed out on.
With this in mind, and prompted by a young person’s suggestion, in 2019 we embarked on organising the very first Care in Mind prom. Our Young Persons’ Champions and Service User Involvement Coordinator supported the young people across our services in the organisation of the celebration.
Our young people were significantly involved in prom arrangements to ensure the event was exactly what they wanted. Each home shared around preparation tasks, such as creating invites and choosing music.
Taking place towards the end of the year, the event was ideal for celebrating individual achievements throughout 2019. On the night, each young person received a personalised award in recognition of their own unique triumphs for the year.
Additionally, the Executive Management Group handed out five special awards to recognise outstanding contribution over the last 12 months:
- Inspirational Young Person Award
- Outstanding Achievement Award
- Greatest Impact Award 2019
- Initiative and Compassion Award 2019
- Strength and Courage Award 2019
Sharron Amri, Managing Director at Care in Mind, said: “It is sometimes easy to forget that our young people have missed so much during their teenage years, but the prom was a moment for everyone to experience adolescence without the thought of mental health or traumatic experiences. I felt humbled to be part of something so special, watching young people just enjoying themselves in the moment was something I will never forget.”
All of the young people involved in the celebration made it the exceptional night it was. Their input in everything from table decorations to entertainment created the perfect prom night! The night was such a success that we are hoping it will become an annual event – bring on 2020!
