July 10: Feeling Safe Being Themselves
how society shapes the way children and young people see themselves, each other and the world they live in
Every parent hopes their child grows up knowing they are loved for exactly who they are. We want them to feel safe enough to discover who they are becoming, confident enough to express themselves, and secure in the knowledge that they will always have a place where they are accepted without question.
For some young people, however, that sense of safety can be harder to find.
Negative stereotypes, discrimination and unkind language can leave LGBTQ+ children and teenagers questioning whether they will be accepted for who they are. Research consistently shows that it is these experiences of rejection and exclusion, not a young person's identity itself, that can have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Today we explore why acceptance matters so deeply, how belonging can protect young people's mental health and the powerful difference parents and trusted adults can make by creating a space where every child knows they are valued, respected and loved.
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🔔 coming up on The Work Edit:
Rats, carrots and sport!
coming up on Cultural Calendar Club
12 Months of live, inspiring, entertaining talks events, made financially accessible for all organisations
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International Self Care Day: Self‑Care is not negotiable.
Friday 24 July 2026
12:00 13:00
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In this 60‑minute webinar, we’ll dismantle the myth that self‑care is a luxury or an indulgence. Once again, we’ve been sold short-term, capitalist quick fixes—like scented candles and bubble baths—as if they could patch over much deeper, systemic problems.
Real self‑care is far less glamorous and far more powerful. It’s about boundaries. About rest. About tuning into our natural rhythms and creating the space to truly know ourselves.
We often frame self‑care as something we do for others—role‑modelling healthier behaviours, being better colleagues, parents, partners. And yes, that matters. But the deeper truth is this: we don’t need to earn rest or justify our wellbeing. We need to normalise self-love without attaching it to usefulness.
Self‑care is a political act. It's about reclaiming what we all deserve—without guilt—and refusing to burn out while trying to fix the very systems that make it so hard to care for ourselves in the first place. Because access to self-care isn’t equal, and recognising that is part of the work.