Twinkle for Heather: Cumbria girl guides promote mental wellbeing in honour of young leader

South Cumbria girl guides created the new challenge called ‘Twinkle for Heather’, in memory of Heather, known as Twinkle when she was a Rainbow leader, who took her own life aged 22 in April last year.

Originally an idea created by her mother, Sarah Milligan, and sister, Emily, the movement behind the badge has spread to Girlguiding groups across 40 counties.

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“The more people that have heard about it, the more interest there has been, and that's how we've been approached to talk to local education and mental health support groups,” says Sarah.

The challenge, which is open to people of all ages regardless of their involvement with the charity, involves creating a self-care box and taking part in a variety of free choice activities to benefit mental health, including sport, mindfulness and art.

“We've got activities in there that are suitable for five-year-olds and for people up to any age. The whole idea is that it teaches children as young as five ways of recognising their emotions and techniques to manage them before it escalates into anything else,” says Sarah, who also notes the importance of having free choice of activity in the pack.

She adds: “It’s about recognising that everyone is different and what might work for me might not work for you.”

Emily recalls seeing the direct impact of the pack at a trial day for it at Newton in Cartmel Village Hall in Cumbria.

“There was one girl who was very anxious and withdrawn, and by the end of the end of the day she was sat with a group of girls she’d never met before, chatting and laughing. You could already see that the activities had a really positive effect – she even spoke on the news that day too,” Emily explains.

With momentum already picking up around the pack, Sarah and Emily’s next aim is to set up a website and gain political support for Heather’s legacy.

The pair are also working in collaboration with the Three Dads Walking project, a group raising mental health awareness, formed by three fathers whose daughters also took their own lives. They are also in talks with girl guides in India, with the aim of increasing discussions around mental wellbeing in school.

“Who knows where it could lead to,” says Sarah. “I know our local MPs Tim Farron and Simon Fell are aware of it, so it could one day potentially be used as a reference in government policy. That’s something that we may well look into in more depth. But I think at the moment, we're just trying to get our heads around the last few months.”

“Heather (pictured left) just had a knack for making people feel seen. We do miss her terribly. If we can stop or help prevent a parent or a sibling being sat in our situation, then we'll do anything we can to do that. To know that we're encouraging open and honest talk about mental health issues, and providing people with links to support networks, I think she'd be really proud,” she adds.

Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness, said: “The Twinkle Challenge is such a positive initiative to come out of such a tragic loss, and it is great to see this be launched across the Girlguiding community. Anything that raises awareness of mental health, and works towards reducing the stigma of talking about it, is a positive influence on our young people.

“Schools and colleges across the UK are always looking for different ways to encourage young people to look after their mental health. It is great to see that this being built on by the Girlguiding community, as something that can also be discussed during children and young people’s leisure time.”

Emily has even had the offer to take the pack around schools herself after challenge’s powerful sentiment struck a chord with youth workers.

“One of my friends is a youth counsellor about to start a project next year about mental health and self-care, and she’s asked if I want to take the pack around schools in Manchester,” explains Emily. “There are also plans to tailor it to fit into Scouts groups too. If you get education on mental health and self-care from a young age, you’ve got it for life.

“If in 10 or 20 years’ time people are talking about Heather Jayne Porter, I’ll be happy with that.”

The Twinkle for Heather challenge pack can be accessed via the Girlguiding Cumbria South website.