From Concept to Product: Supporting Boys’ Mental Health

What started as a project for Young Enterprise in late 2024 has now turned into a product that can have a real impact on the mental health of boys. We catch up with co-founder and team manager Marcello (Upper Eighth) to discover how the initiative of Mental Health Cards for Boys grew from a simple concept into a thoughtful tool that helps parents and sons open up, tackle emotions and strengthen connections.

In a nutshell, what are Mental Health Conversation Cards for Boys?
Our conversation cards aim to spark conversations between parents and their sons around their mental wellbeing. Our cards are divided in four categories: coping with emotions, building confidence, navigating friendships and family connection. Each card presents a relatable scenario prompting boys to open up over challenging topics in a supportive environment. Rather than asking, “How was your day? ”and getting the usual “It was good,” we aim to make conversations on mental health more natural and approachable.

What inspired this idea to make them? Why cards for boys?
We initially created this product for Young Enterprise in late 2024, a national entrepreneurship competition for students, and we knew we wanted to build a company that not only generates profit but also creates positive social impact. We decided to focus on what we know: growing up as boys in an environment of academic pressures and high expectations. Whilst we could’ve made the cards for both boys and girls, research (and our personal experience) shows that boys often struggle more with opening up to their parents. Hence, we chose to address that specific and important challenge

Who is part of the team involved in creating this?
During Young Enterprise, we had 11 team members (all in Lower Eighth at the time). However after the competition ended in March of 2025, only four of us continued with the project: Oliver Destito, Arthur America, Dariush Ghaffarpour and myself (all in the Upper Eighth). This couldn’t have been possible without the collective effort of the entire team, and I will always be grateful for the hard work everyone put in.

How long did it take to make them – from concept to product?
The first four months of the competition were dedicated to fundraising for a potential idea. Once we raised a sufficient amount, we got to work with brainstorming ideas. We had several concepts before settling on the cards, from anti-mugging devices, to candles made from recycled glass bottles. After, it took roughly a month of writing and designing each card, followed by another three weeks to wait for the delivery from our local manufacturer.

What was the most challenging part of making them?
We unfortunately ran into several issues with our original producer, from poor print quality to also simply not receiving boxes to put the cards in. We were under a lot of time pressure at the time as we had a trade fair at Spitalfields market, and I vividly remember the stress our team was under. However, in the end we learnt from our mistakes and quickly switched suppliers, and we haven’t looked back since.

Who helped you along the way? Anyone outside of the team?
Outside the team, we had a great deal of help, and there are many people we would like to thank. Firstly, Kester and Kate from Young Enterprise, for all their support and mentorship since the very beginning of our journey. Secondly, we are incredibly grateful to thank Mr Troen and Mr Bailey from St. Paul’s and Miss Ferris from SPJ, for helping us immensely and managing all school-related logistics. Lastly, the safeguarding teams at St. Paul’s and St. Paul’s Girls, particularly Mr Hudson and Miss McGeoch, for going out of their way to personally support the project, and for connecting us with others who helped us continue moving forward.

How did it come about that you sold them at the SPGS Christmas Fair and at the upcoming In Safe Hands event?
The SPGS Christmas fair takes place every two years, and each time the schools teams partaking in Young Enterprise are offered stalls as a way to generate some initial revenue. Unfortunately, the year that we participated, the fair didn’t run. However as we decided to continue the business, we thought we might as well ask if we could join in with other Paulines in the year below. Thankfully, we were given permission, and it turned out to be a very successful day out.

By complete chance, the Designated Safeguarding Lead at the girls school, Miss McGeoch, walked past our stall, and after some impressive pitching from our friend Rafi, the Head Girl, she invited us to In Safe Hands, an upcoming event on student mental health. We are extremely excited to take part and showcase our product with a wider audience.

How are you marketing the cards and where can they be bought?
Our most effective marketing strategy so far has been through school events, but we also have had solid engagement on social media, particularly Instagram.

The cards can be purchased through our website: www.angelmentalhealth.com

How much do they cost?
A pack of 40 cards costs £16.99, and using SPS10 will give you a 10% discount at checkout.

Any future plans to expand on the idea?
We would love to work more closely with schools across London to develop a version made specifically for the classroom, rather than the dinner table at home. We are also considering designing a pack of cards for girls.