演讲全文：

I was delighted when I was asked to help open today's conference.

很高兴受邀参加今天的开幕仪式。

  I want to start by saying a big thank you to all of the head teachers here today. I know how much is asked of you.

首先，我想对所有在场的校长们说一句真诚的谢谢，我知道你们为工作付出了巨大的努力。

  The fact that you are all committing your valuable time to support Place2Be, and prioritise the mental health of your students is something that all parents should be grateful for.

你们把自己宝贵的时间和精力投入到我们的Place2Be项目中，并且在具体工作当中一直把学生的心理健康作为重中之重，仅此，就足以赢得所有家长们的感谢。

  I often get asked why I decided to spend time highlighting the mental health of children. I imagine my answer might be similar to many of yours.

别人经常问我说为什么我一直这么关注儿童心理健康的发展，我的答案可能和大家心里面想的差不多。

  I know that I was lucky. My parents and teachers provided me with a wonderful and secure childhood where I always knew I was loved, valued and listened to.

我很幸运，小时候，父母和老师的关爱让我度过了非常难忘的童年，那时候我能感觉到有人疼爱自己、欣赏自己、倾听自己。

  But of course many children are not so lucky. Since beginning my work in areas like addiction, for example, I have seen time and time again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood are almost always present in unresolved childhood challenges.

但是我们的世界上有很多的孩子并不像我这么幸运，比如说，自从我开始接触一些吸毒上瘾的人之后，我经常发现这些成年人之所以会出现严重的心理问题其根源都是小时候曾经遭遇过巨大的创伤。

  I am sure you will agree that all children deserve time, attention and love from the adults in their lives. These basic qualities are so much more valuable than the always changing material and social concerns that can seem so important to young people.

我相信大家都认为孩子应当得到大人的关怀、陪伴和理解，比起现代社会里年轻人层出不穷的物质需求和社会考量，这些才是他们最需要的东西。

  As today's theme reminds us, many children –even those from stable, happy homes – are finding that their heads are just too full. It is our duty, as parents and as teachers, to give all children the space to build their emotional strength and provide a strong foundation for their future.

就像今天活动的主题所不断提醒我们的一样，许多孩子，包括那些来自幸福而稳定的家庭里的，都被太多的东西占据了自己的身心。作为家长和老师，我们有责任为孩子们打造一片他们能够用来建筑自己情感力量的天地，有责任来为他们未来的发展打下坚实的基础。

  Of course, not all children have the anchor of a strong family. Many will arrive through your school gates feeling a real lack of love and devotion in their lives. This often leaves them feeling insecure and without confidence and trust in the world around them. That is why your work is so important.

当然，并不是所有的孩子都有一个坚强的家庭来作为他们成长的后盾，许多每天穿梭于学校和家庭之间的孩子们总是深深地感觉到自己的生活里缺少的关爱。也正因如此，他们的心里总是充满了不安全感，对周围的世界缺乏信心和信任。这就是为什么我们的工作如此重要。

  Parents, teachers and other school staff need the tools to help these young people early in their lives. And the earlier, the better. It is proven that early action prevents problems later in life.

家长、老师和其他所有的学校工作人员都需要用适当的方式尽早地帮助这些孩子，越早越好。很多的案例都已证明，如果我们能尽早采取措施，那么很多的问题后来就不会发生。

  Imagine if everyone was able to help just one child who needs to be listened to, needs to be respected, and needs to be loved –we could make such a huge difference for an entire generation.

想象一下，如果每个人都能帮助一个需要倾听、需要尊重、需要疼爱的孩子，那么我们就能够改变整整一代人。

  As head teachers you have the chance to reach tens of thousands of children during your careers, and make an impact on a great scale. Thank you for making the work of Place2Be part of your mission. I hope you know how much your work is valued.

作为校长，你们有机会在自己的职业生涯中接触到成千上万的学生，有机会去影响一大批未来的年轻人。感谢你们把Place2Be作为自己的一项使命来完成，衷心地希望你们能知道我们对你们的工作是多么地感激。