Feel Good Your Way: How filming with The Reporters' Academy supports Erin

By The Reporters' Academy | 10 October 2024 | TAGS: Mental health, "Children and young people", Mental Wellbeing

GM Moving are working with The Reporters' Academy on phase 2 of Feel Good Your Way our young person mental wellbeing work, demonstrating how moving more provides boys and girls with a much-needed mental boost.

Feel Good Your Way was created in response to the #BeeWell findings, an annual survey that measures the wellbeing of young people and brings together partners to deliver meaningful, youth-centred action.

The Reporters’ Academy (TRA) is a non-profit youth training organisation that provides behind-the-scenes media industry training to young people from local communities. 

As part of their work on Feel Good Your Way, TRA's Erin (pictured above) has been building up her skills and experiences and connected brilliantly with the girls and young women being filmed.

Here, we caught up with Erin to find out more about how the filming work for Feel Good Your Way is progressing and how she has found the experience so far. You can also see more behind-the-scenes of her journey on X here.

GMM: Firstly, how do you like to move and how does it make you feel?

Erin: For me, physical activity comes in the form of refereeing football matches; in terms of my mental wellbeing, it really helps me.

When I'm refereeing, I can put everything that's happened during the week in the back of my mind and solely focus on the game in hand.

It helps me to relax and wind down from any stress building up from events, I also feel like I'm making a difference to people's lives as I'm helping them to have a safe and healthy game.

How did you find being involved in the Feel Good Your Way filming?

I have absolutely loved being involved in the Feel Good Your Way filming with GM Moving and The Reporters Academy; it's been amazing to pick up new skills and to meet so many new people.

It's been great to see the locations these activities have been taking place, and hearing these young people's stories has been a surreal experience for me personally, especially hearing the impact that sport has had on them and how it brings mental and physical benefits to them.

How do you hope the films will be used in Greater Manchester?

I hope the films for this project will be used to inspire young people and people of any age to take up a sport or to try something out of their comfort zone.

No matter whether they think it's for them or not, they'll never know until they try it, and these films are a great way of showing just how young people tried something out of their comfort zone and are now thriving in their sport.

A reminder of our Phase 1 film:

What's been the highlight for you so far and why?

I would have to say filming at the Water Adventure Centre in Droylsden has been my favourite moment so far. Just seeing how much the kids enjoyed themselves and to see one little girl so happy to be kayaking for the first time and showing her mum who was beaming with pride, was amazing.

As well, just seeing the relationship the girls had with the instructors at the centre showed just how much of a tight-knit group they are and how much fun they have whilst exercising is a great sight to see. 

How does it feel to be able to bring young people’s stories to life?

It feels amazing to be part of such a great project and to be able to bring young people's stories to life whilst receiving guidance from the amazing team at the TRA.

Being able to bring young people's stories to life is heartwarming, as people should see the impact that sports and moving can have on young people's lives no matter what they've been through, which can inspire others into getting involved, which is what I would love to see across Greater Manchester.

How has being involved support you?

For me, being involved in such a great project has influenced the way I think about sports and the impact it has on others.

Hearing stories of young people who were excluded from sport for heartbreaking reasons shapes a view of just how initiatives such as GM Moving and the Feel Good Your Way campaign can help those people.

In terms of my career development, I have been lucky enough to interview some of these young people and staff members involved, which has allowed me to learn vital new interviewing skills that I feel can help me in my quest to be a sports journalist in the future!

Further to this, I have learnt new camera skills, shots, and techniques that can help me to create future films.

Find out more about Feel Good Your Way here and share how you use movement, physical activity, and/or sport to improve young people's mental wellbeing using #FeelGoodYourWay.