The Chatterbox is a creative and fun tool co-designed to normalise mental health conversation by strengthening the bond between parents and children through open, honest, and fun conversation.
The Chatterbox is one of the outputs of our It was developed over a period of 18 months. For six months, it was piloted and tested with ideas and thoughts from families and communities.
Research shows that two-thirds of children don’t talk to their parents about mental health. Parents and young people worked together to try to find a way to encourage families to open up and talk to each other. We believe that communication is at the heart of a healthy family life — and that making space to share stories, feelings, and laughter helps families thrive.
The Chatterbox proved to be a game-changer. Feedback from families showed it helped break down barriers, deepen family connections, and gave children and teens the confidence to express themselves more openly.
The Chatterbox was launched in October 2025. The Launch event was graced by many dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of Kingston Upon Hull, the Vice and Deputy Lord Lieutenants East Riding of Yorkshire, the Young Mayor of Kingston Upon Hull, representatives from the NHS, the British Science Association, Hull City Council, Humber and North Yorkshire Healthcare Partnership, Thrive Co-operative Learning Trust England, and the University of Hull.
The event was featured on BBC Radio Humberside and other local media outlets.
You can request a Chatterbox pack for yourself, family or organisation by completing the request form – https://forms.office.com/r/GjxNiTinAj
The NORM Wellbeing Project was funded by the Wellcome Trust and managed by the British Science Association. My pockets, a media production company, developed this work into the illustrated word of the chatterbox. Read more about the NORM Wellbeing Project here.
This project is part of the 26 community projects funded by grants from The Ideas Fund. The Ideas Fund is a grants programme run by the British Science Association and funded by Wellcome, which enables community groups to work with researchers to develop and try out ideas that address problems related to mental well-being in their communities.
Dr Franklin Onukwugha, a Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Hertfordshire (Lead researcher) and Dr Abigail Daniels, a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Hull, worked with young people, parents and community leaders to co-produce the Chatterbox.
Our captures the heart of the NORM Wellbeing Project — from why it started, to how it was developed, and the partnerships that brought it to life.