How a Pulborough teenager is spreading the feelgood factor

Sixteen-year-old Sophia Gibbs has been spending her time during lockdown on the project aimed at boosting people’s mental health after first hearing about the scheme on Instagram.

She invites people to contact her via social media and fill in a questionnaire on what sort of things help them feel better about themselves - then she sets about putting together a package of mood-boosting items which she then posts to them.

So far she has mailed out around 200 positivity packages to people all over the country and she’s currently working on another 75.

“They help people physically and mentally,” said Sophia.

And she has found that making the packages has helped lift her own low mood during lockdown.

She makes a number of different types, all based on what people tell her in the questionnaire. Some small ‘pick-me-up’ packs are sent out to people free of charge and others cost £5 or £10 depending on their contents.

“It costs me £1.40 a time to post the free packages and I’ve already used all my savings on them,” said Sophia, who has enrolled for the sixth form at The Weald school in Billingshurst.

The free packages can contain small self-care items such as tea bags, shower gel, face masks.

“For the others, I ask people what kind of things help them and if they want anything specific,” said Sophia.”Some people might have eating disorders and don’t want food so I choose alternative things instead.”

Her project recently received a welcome boost when a Masonic charity donated around 50 small teddy bears following an appeal she put out on Facebook.

“I don’t have a job so I rely on donations,” said Sophia.

See https://linktr.ee/Mhrecoverypacks