April Mackay

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

Haven't written for a while so here's a blog about the kids "crisis" and the good stuff as well https://t.co/hueUy70vSx

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

Six years of the blog (feels a lot longer)
https://t.co/YfLG79nEgN

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

@Vicster82 @Arsenal So glad you're happy ❤️❤️

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

Blog about women in the outdoors and why this stuff matters so much. https://t.co/uTASV7Ya6c

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

Blog about mental health and recovery, written pretty much out of frustration.
https://t.co/Ddhsf72w04

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

I've been in the Highlands for two years and it still never fails to amaze me ❤️

[Professor Ellen Townsend @SelfHarmRes]

Key risk factors that lead thoughts of suicide to attempts & suicide in young people include:
-Violence
- Physical, emotional & sexual abuse.

Do we take these issues seriously enough?

How can we when elites behave as they do?

[safescreenscampaign @safe_screens]

EdTech has been rapidly adopted by schools despite;
- lack of evidence of net learning benefit
- access to inappropriate content
- data privacy issues
Sign our petition to call on the Government to pause & review pupil facing EdTech👇

https://t.co/KQIbh7tM6e

@HackedOffHugh

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

@K8_Bee24_Lex Merry Christmas! :)

[safescreenscampaign @safe_screens]

Children should not be subjected to an intervention unless the net benefit for the child is shown to outweigh the harms: the precautionary principle. In the case of most EdTech, that threshold has not been met. We discussed the issues at a Parliamentary event yesterday hosted by @LauraTrottMP and Sophie Winkleman.

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

Complete departure from the usual blogs with a mini post about domestic violence. I'm not massively educated on this so it's basically a stupid rant but there's too many people in these situations and I think it's better to say something than nothing.

https://t.co/DbPBYoQ90B

[Kelly @broadwaybabyto]

When I was 15 years old I was obsessed with boy bands

I hadn’t kissed a boy

I slept with a stuffed animal

My fave activity was hanging out at the mall

I crushed on Leonardo DiCaprio

Why? Because I was a child

15 year olds are children

Nothing anyone says will change that.

[Stan Collymore @StanCollymore]

Suicide.

I'm choosing to be deliberately blunt and provocative in this post because it's necessary. Government, charities, football clubs are all pushing water up a hill in highlighting what is undoubtedly a major health crisis.

You take a rope.
You put it up in a garage or a tree nearby or far away.
You're thinking about every loved one you'll leave behind as you put that rope around your neck.
Then you drop.

Some are decapitated.
Some aren't.
All are found by someone who has a lifetime of trauma that will never leave them.
A son.
A daughter.
A brother.
A sister.
A mother.
A father.

I know 2 men who hung themselves.

One was found by his Mom.
One was found by his brother.
Neither have recovered fully. 20 and 30 years on.

A life sentence for people who were already worrying, terrified their loved one may do something.

So just visualise the above and ask, "is there another way"?

A segway for a moment.

I do a few Q&A's every year. Tales of yesterday with a 99% male audience of my age group.

After the stories and fun, my last question back to the audience is..

"Hands up if you struggle with a mental health issue".

Nobody ever puts a hand up. Despite 1 in every 3 of 500 attendees statistically struggling.

"Ah, nobody, that's fucking brilliant! Well I do! ". I then graphically tell people, stunned into silence about how a rope around my neck in the middle of nowhere jolted me to go home and cry like a baby to my Mom.

After the Q&A has finished, something always happens. I'll be chatting to a few guys, saying bye and one by one, men will come over and whisper " I struggle".

Or my mailbox the next day will have 30 emails from guys, their partners or kids saying " Dad/Uncle /Brother was there last night and what you said hit them hard".

And that's how some people realise that it's time to speak to a pal or family member or even rant to me in an email. It works, I often get a follow up email a year or 6 later saying that they took responsibility for their suicidal feelings and are now flying.

Humans are programmed to want to live, to have families and to keep the species growing and thriving. So for a human to want to short circuit that desire isn't normal, and it should never be spoken of as normal. It's the ultimate red flag.

If you suspect your mate, Dad, Brother, Uncle is struggling mentally, they deserve your intervention.

They deserve a " are you OK, please tell me what's up".

They deserve an opportunity to get past wanting to hang a rope over a tree or in a garage and slowly struggle until they die and you find them.

If you've been there and trust me I have plenty, then you'll know that text out of the blue, or a footie mate or one of your kids asking jow you are can open the curtains to some sunshine.

Because when suicide is your only answer, the room is already dark, and you can't see a way out.

So please, fucking pretty please, ask that husband, Dad, Uncle, Cousin, footie pal TODAY how they are.

You may be shocked what comes back but extremely glad that you asked.

For those who struggle, you're not alone.

[ISHOLÁ @isholabrb]

I hate poverty, I hate what poverty does to people, I hate how poverty destroys peoples dignity.

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

And this is why I say I couldn't be happier - living in the Highlands, helping kids just like I was helped, seeing all the best bits of life ♥️

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

It meant so much to see these guys fighting for us during covid. I was an unhappy kid back then but now I couldn't be happier, and I couldn't have got here without them. They deserve a say, life would be worse for all my age group if they hadn't helped.

[Molly Kingsley @lensiseethrough]

I was required under rule 9 request to submit a Witness statement to the Inquiry in which I set out in meticulous and fully referenced legal detail key areas of concern from a children's, ethical and governance point of view. As far as I can see that statement has not been made public. I will reserve final comment until the end of the Children's Module but it seems clear to me that there are a number of high level, critically important questions - questions about governance, ethics and censorship - that have not been addressed, let alone seriously considered, by this Inquiry.

[Health Professionals for Safer Screens @HP4SaferScreens]

“Matilda "Tilly" Roseworn died by suicide at just 15 years old — after years of relentless bullying, amplified by social media platforms.”

Australia is banning social media for under-16s.
Every other country must do the same.

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

@K8_Bee24_Lex I'm sorry, I bet he's so proud of you - your dad, that is - we all know you're brilliant and it's been great seeing you realising that too, don't let one guy who's failed to see it drag you down xx

[April Mackay @AprilMackay4]

Blog for world suicide prevention day (cheerful, I know) https://t.co/pQYB8oPNQj

[🦋 Miss R 🦋 @missrteach6]

Those children collecting their GCSE results today were the children who didn’t sit their SATs due to Covid. Lost so much of their last year of Y6.. they deserve to feel amazing regardless of grades! They did it, despite life’s challenges! 📚🤍