Melva and Barnabus from the live Melva show

Children’s Wellbeing
Education, through storytelling

MELVA is an award-winning, creative, digital media programme, which improves children and young people’s knowledge and understanding of mental health and wellbeing, and teaches them practical self management techniques.

MELVA is a user-friendly, early intervention and prevention approach, designed to be used by schools, with children aged 7-11 (Key Stage 2).

What is Melva?
Melva and her Grandpa from the Melva game
Melva and Barnabus from the live Melva show

Teach your children the Melva motto:

Brave isn’t how you feel
it’s what you do!

Public Health England state that at least 1 in 5 children aged 7-16 have a diagnosable mental health condition. That’s an average of 6 children per classroom.

There is a children’s wellbeing crisis in the UK. We urgently need new, accessible, multi-agency approaches to tackling this crisis. MELVA is a proven, fun, and impactful way for teachers to work with whole classes, addressing wellbeing issues before children reach crisis point and reducing referrals to over-stretched statutory services.

 

Melva is available to Primary Schools and Trusts everywhere.

This downloadable information pack gives you an overview of why Melva was created, how it works, what settings get access to, and the impact it could have on your children.

Download

MELVA’s impact for
children and adults

MELVA is facilitated through creative and practical activities, with an emphasis on learning by doing.

The resources and evaluation tools are rooted in ratified and recognised wellbeing research, such as the PERMATM framework and the NHS 5 steps to wellbeing.

Key features of Melva

Practical training for teachers…

…ready-made resources, and chances to connect with other Melva schools help school staff feel supported through the process of tackling mental health topics in school.

Why Melva Works

Child-friendly language…

…enables open conversations about worries and anxiety in a way that doesn’t feel daunting or exposing and gives young people and adults a shared language.

Why Melva Works
A screenshot from the Melva game of Melva in a sweet shop

Engaging storytelling…

…supports young people to learn through fictional characters and apply this to their own life, helping them to self-reflect and develop empathy.

Why Melva Works

Practical activities…

…which focus on early intervention teach children effective self-management techniques to be able to manage their physical and emotional responses before they become a significant problem.

Why Melva Works

Repetition and reinforcement…

…of key learning through different stories and approaches consolidate learning whilst keeping children engaged.

Why Melva Works

Fun and relatable characters…

…make learning fun, which not only supports wellbeing through providing positive social experiences, but also increases children’s capacity for learning.

Why Melva Works

Embedded evaluation processes…

… provide you with valuable data to demonstrate the impact MELVA is having on your children’s knowledge, understanding, and general wellbeing levels.

More about Melva

Testimonials

What people are saying
about Melva…

“The rewards are instant and long-lasting.”
Headteacher
“The programme is engaging to all, easy to use by the teacher and a lovely take on how PSHE should be shared in schools.”
Teacher
“I learned that being afraid of something doesn’t mean you can’t do it.”
Young Participant
“Thank you for providing a brilliant programme and one that the students love each year (and still talk about in Y8 when they are about to leave).”
Teacher
“As a sufferer of anxiety and a worrier from a young age, I can’t tell you how important Melva is for young (and old) audiences.”
Audience Member
“The children love the character of Melva. The format is engaging, the game is attractive, and it explores topics like anxiety in a relaxed and fun way.”
Deputy Headteacher
“The game provides lots of practical and workable solutions for helping with childhood anxiety and everyday worries.”
NE family fun

The Melva Package

In the Melva programme, children go on a shared journey with Melva Mapletree, as she learns how to recognise, understand and manage her worrits.

By learning through Melva’s adventure – and the characters she meets along the way – children are given a vehicle to talk about, explore and learn openly about mental wellbeing, in a way that is accessible, non-exposing and practical.

Perfect for Years 3-4!

Explore Scratchicle Town

This new programme is designed to give young people in Key Stage 2 a basic introduction to the NHS 5 ways to wellbeing.

Learning is facilitated through short animations featuring different characters who live in Melva’s home town – Scratchicle Town – each representing different elements of the 5 key steps, followed by practical group and individual activities.

More info
Perfect for Years 4-5!

Melva's Mountain Adventure

Delve deeper into the topics of worries, anxiety, and self-management techniques through this digital theatre show.

In role as Mountain Rescue Trainees, children meet Melva Mapletree and help her on her adventure to overcome her worrits and find her Grandpa. The story is split into 5 chapters and spread across 8 lessons with wraparound activities which help children discuss what they’ve watched, apply it to their own lives, and learn techniques for self-management of their own worrits.

More info
Perfect for Years 5-6!
A still from the Melva game

The Quest for Barnabas Boggle

In this choose-your-own-adventure style game, children take on the role of Melva’s ‘Niggling Voice’, tasked with making the right choices to help find her missing best friend, Barnabas.

The game follows on from the Melva’s Mountain Adventure story, with the emphasis shifting to exploring relationships and supporting others, whilst still looking out for yourself.

More info
A child playing the Melva game on a laptop
“The writer has covered every single element of our mental health training, totally at child level”
Headteacher

Not just fun and
games…

Melva is fun, creative, and incredibly engaging but, most importantly, it is rooted in legitimate mental health research and it’s proven to work.

The themes explored directly link to the current relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum, and the programme tackles real-life issues in a fun and accessible way.

Why Melva Works

Funded and supported by: