Markers for Mindfulness is coming to Swansea thanks to Dawsons

An inspirational young man called Daniel Lloyd has set up a fantastic charity called ‘Markers for Mindfulness’ in Oxford following the sad loss of his friend at the age of just 14, as he felt there was no funding for wellbeing support in the school and hoped that by providing the school with stationery the school could use their stationery budget to support the children’s wellbeing instead. This has hugely rolled out across Oxfordshire and now as far North as Grimsby.  It's much more than providing stationery to schools; they are also supporting individuals who need a school pack for a new term, providing colouring resources and so much more.

Daniel is a truly remarkable young man.  You can watch him here being interviewed by the wonderful charity fundraiser and founder of Computer for Schools Stephen Brown

Dawsons would like to roll this out in Swansea, and needs your support to help our local schools prepare for the new term in September. We are pledging to run a summer-long campaign with all of our branches across Swansea, Swansea Marina, Morriston, Killay, Llanelli, Sketty, Mumbles and Gorseinon as drop-off points for stationery, water bottles, and so much more in readiness to hand over to the initial two schools in September (and more if the donations exceed our expectations).

We are looking for local businesses and individuals to search your stock cupboards and drawers, maybe you have rebranded and have old branded items unused, or maybe as a business you could spare one ream of paper (imagine if every business did this), or water bottles you have been given at events but never used.  We can make use of most stationery items, new and used such as: Pens - biro and colouring, Pencils - HB and colouring, including the chunky pencils for reception classes, Rulers, Maths sets, Whiteboard markers, Highlighters, Scissors, Glue sticks, Pencil sharpeners, Erasers, Calculators, Pencil cases, Notebooks, Paper, Card, Arts and crafts, School bags, Water bottles *(Please no A4 folders or box files).

By providing schools and groups with equipment and essential supplies, it can help them with budgeting issues and, hopefully, allow them to help support students. For individual students, having all the basics you need for the school day and completing work at home can make a big difference to their mental health.

The History Behind Markers for Mindfulness Charity:

In 2019, after his best friend died at the age of 14, Daniel chose to use his grief to give back and make a positive change. In May 2019, he did a 5k obstacle colour run and raised £430 for his friend's hospital's PICU paediatric intensive care unit. Daniel then planned more events over the Summer, holding cake sales and a raffle to raise money for his own school's mental health training.

He was able to raise £1,500. With this money, the school has trained more than 40 staff members in mental health first aid. This has been of great benefit, not only for the students but also for the staff.

Markers for Mindfulness was started in January 2020. It has been pushing people in the local area to recycle unwanted items like pens and pencils, glue sticks, notebooks, whiteboard markers, etc., so that they can be sent to primary schools that have lost the most money because of government cuts. By donating basic supplies to schools that didn't have enough money, Daniel hoped to help the schools free up a small amount of money that could be used for the mental health and support of students. He also wanted to use the chance to talk to the schools and students about how important mental health is for young people.

So far, more than 82 large supply boxes of items have been sent to schools in Oxfordshire and other parts of the UK that need them the most. Over 400 students have been given full pencil cases, and 34 have been given new school bags and supplies to help them with their schooling. More than £43,000 worth of tools and supplies have been used well. We think that if you meet a child's basic needs, you can help them reach their full potential for that day, the rest of the school year, and the rest of their lives.

Markers for Mindfulness has held "Tea & Talk" events and "School Supply Larders" to bring schools and the community together. Mental health is still a problem, and it's more important than ever to learn more about and help students and workers with their mental health.

Markers for Mindfulness is still raising money and bringing attention to the mental health of students and wants to reach as many schools as it can in the UK. We want to encourage people in other parts of the UK to get involved, donate, and recycle unwanted things so that they can be used in schools.

Visit to find out what's going on with the project and how you can help: www.markersformindfulness.org.uk

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