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Weatherford, a multinational oil and natural gas services giant, launched its global CSR initiative ‘Place2Be’ in the UAE as part of its participation in the just concluded Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
The announcement was made at a press conference attended by Benita Refson OBE, President and Founding Trustee of Place2Be, Her Excellency Fatima Al Jaber, Chairperson of Abu Dhabi Business Women Council, and Her Excellency Dr. Sheikha Al Maskary, Chairwoman, Al Maskari Holding.
Place2Be, a school-based family counselling initiative, provides mental health support services to children, families and teachers within the school environment. Drawing on its unique insight and expertise as the UK’s leading provider of school-based children’s mental health services, Place2Be will offer a range of training and mentoring programmes on children’s mental health.
Implemented from early 2016, Weatherford’s support for Place2Be’s training activities in the UAE will include the renowned Talented Teacher Programme (TTP) to equip teachers with the requisite skills for understanding and dealing with children and their unique emotional issues, as well as the highly successful Mentoring Programme for young people by young people.
In the initial phase, the training and mentoring programmes will take place at three Abu Dhabi-based schools to demonstrate the benefits and added value that Place2Be offers to the country’s young generation while taking into account any local, cultural and community related issues that might emerge.
Benita Refson OBE, President and Founding Trustee of Place2Be, said: “Weatherford has invested in the development of services across the UK through its support for Place2Be that includes providing teachers with the critical skills they can apply in the classrooms. Teachers in today’s dynamic learning environment often feel de-skilled as they do not have the level of expert support to help children thrive and learn or address their emotional problems.
“Following the significant impact of Place2Be on children, families and communities in the UK, we were keen to expand our training globally to benefit more children and parents seeking support for mental health challenges. The UAE is home to a high ratio of young parents, and we decided to leverage our experience for the benefit of the wider community in this country.”
She added: “To create healthy societies, we must take our children’s mental health seriously so that they remain healthy in both mind and body. Through the Place2Be initiative, we address this issue at the grassroots level by building and enabling a highly skilled workforce that is aware of and able to deal with children’s mental health issues. Place2Be has a vital role to play in helping find a solution - by sharing expertise beyond its direct work in schools and improving the lives of children across the world.
“We would like to thank Young ADIPEC which aims to engage young people and its organiser, DMG, for all of their efforts and for giving us this opportunity to benefit from this CSR initiative for the UAE community at ADIPEC 2015.”
Her Excellency Dr. Sheikha Al Maskary, Chairperson, Al Maskari Holding, said: “Despite the changing pattern of life and increasing female participation in the workforce, parents, especially mothers, remain at the core of their families and societies. In the UAE, like elsewhere in the world, the parental role, which cannot be substituted by anyone else, is critical for the emotional and mental wellbeing of children. Parents should spend more time with their children and pay greater attention to their emotional and psychological needs if we are to raise a healthy generation.”
Her Excellency Fatima Al Jaber - Board Member – Al Jaber Group said: “Place2Be’s training activity is a novel initiative to support children in Abu Dhabi schools at a vital stage of their development. The concept will help us find viable solutions for the social and emotional problems encountered by children from an early age. Schools provide an ideal environment to address such issues through dedicated counselling and age-appropriate support programmes. Weatherford’s support sets an example for other firms to follow and we are grateful for the timely launch of this worthwhile initiative in Abu Dhabi.”
Mental health issues are now recognised nationally and internationally as a critical problem for communities. In fact, around 20% of the world's children and adolescents have mental disorders and about half of these disorders begin before the age of 14.
According to the WHO, mental health is defined as ‘a state of well-being in which every individual recognises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her own community.
Mental disorders increase the risk of susceptibility to other diseases including HIV, cardiovascular conditions and diabetes. It has been estimated that by the year 2030, depression will be the leading cause of disability throughout the world. Stigma and discrimination against patients and families prevent many people from seeking mental health care.
Established in 1994 in London Place2Be has a strong presence in over 250 schools across the UK. The initiative receives funding from the UK’s Department of Education and Department of Health in England and has been awarded a Big Society Award by the British Prime Minister in recognition of the quality and contribution of its work. Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge chose to become the charity’s Royal Patron in 2013.
Given that corporate social responsibility is a key element of its success, Weatherford is committed to working for the benefit of communities in countries where it has significant operations.
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