Updates from Mental Wealth UK

A Year in the Life.. Sheffield Hallam's Mental Wealth Group!

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:04:38 -0400

We caught up with Rachel Staniforth, the group leader of Sheffield Hallam’s Mental Wealth Group, ‘Hallam Head Space’. Here she tells us about various achievements over the past year from campaigning about exam stress to fostering a joined up approach to wellbeing promotion on campus and in the local community.

“Hallam Head Space is affiliated to Mental Wealth UK, a charity committed to promoting positive wellbeing on university campuses. The group was launched in January 2012 and is fully student-led. Head Space have aimed to “Break the Silence” on mental health issues among students and so far, we appear to be succeeding. We have run a variety of events with the aim of providing an outlet for students to talk to others in similar situations, get involved in various activities and ultimately – to tackle stress. We have developed a ‘Survival Guide’ containing advice on: eating well, exercising, budgeting and seeking help and we frequently give away revision materials, including: pens, notebooks and bottled water. Recently we have hosted a petting zoo at both campuses in order to provide students with a break from exam stresses.

Hallam Head Space has also been dedicated to breaking down the barriers between students and the wider community. We started by tackling the barrier between students and university services. Since January 2012, we have run events in conjunction with Student Wellbeing, developed relationships with the Careers and Employment Service, and made contacts within the Development and Society department.

Due to the external volunteering work I was doing at the time, on 8th and 9th May 2013, Hallam Head Space succeeded in cementing ties within the community. A local charity called Survivors Of Depression In Transit (S.O.D.I.T.) held a mental health conference in Sheffield city centre entitled “Bringing Communities Together” at which Head Space ran a stall. This in itself was a fantastic opportunity, as Head Space were able to speak not only to other local charities, but also to the local IAPT team, independent practitioners and service users about our aims and achievements so far. Additionally (and again attributed to the external volunteering work of the Group Leader), Head Space were asked to run a workshop for attendees of the conference, entitled “Mood and Food”. Five members of Hallam Head Space (Rachel Staniforth, Sammie Taylor, Megan Bean, Pippa Smith and Kathy Steward) worked together to design and deliver an hour long workshop that was both informative and interactive, and which ran twice each day of the conference. Community ties were further strengthened as Change for Life Barnsley provided some materials for the workshop and leaflets to give out to attendees. Around fifty people attended the workshops, and approximately 200 people attended the conference overall.

Hallam Head Space now has community contacts directly resulting from their work at the Sheffield mental health conference “Bringing Communities Together”. We believe that we have found the key to community integration: getting involved! By seeking out volunteering opportunities within the community and monitoring events coming up, it is possible to raise the profile of student mental health. Student’s are members of the community too!”

Interested in campaigning about mental health and wellbeing at your university or college? Mental Wealth UK supports over 30 student-led mental health campaigns groups at universities across the UK. Find out whether your university hosts a group Here or email us to express your interest in launching a new group where you are: home[at]mentalwealthuk.com

Take a Study Break: Let’s Get Physical! It’s a busy time of year...

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:37:12 -0400

Take a Study Break: Let’s Get Physical!

It’s a busy time of year for students, with summer exams and coursework deadlines fast approaching. You might feel like all you have time to think about is essay plans and post-its, but it’s absolutely crucial that you also take time to look after your mental health and unwind.

Over the next seven days, the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) are coordinating their Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year the theme is ‘Let’s Get Physical’. The campaign aims to get us thinking positively about exercise, as something we want to do for our wellbeing and happiness rather than just as something we think ‘we ought to do’.

So, why not make your study breaks more interactive, and try some different exercise this week? It’s a great stress release after a long day in the library and a fun way to take part in Mental Health Awareness Week. Check your Students’ Union and University websites to see if there are any exercise classes you can attend this week. If you have a Yoga society join in on their beginners session, or go for a jog around campus with your housemate. Whatever you do, enjoy yourself - see Phoebe’s running technique in ‘Friends’ for inspiration!

For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week visit: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/mentalhealthawarenessweek/get-involved/?view=Standard

You can also read about how physical activity has helped other people manage their mental health here: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthawarenessweek

To support you through the exam season Mental Wealth UK have put together our Recipe for Stress Free Exams here: http://www.mentalwealthuk.com/files/u1/recipe_for_stress-free_exams_final_0.pdf

Further information about the relationship between physical activity and mental health can be found on the Royal College of Psychiatrists website here: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/expertadvice/treatmentswellbeing/physicalactivity.aspx

Interested in campaigning about mental health and wellbeing at your university or college? Mental Wealth UK support 30 student-led mental health campaigns groups at universities across the UK. Find out whether your university hosts a group Here or email us to express your interest in launching a new group where you are: home[at]mentalwealthuk.com

Nottingham Students Launch 'Mental: My Take'

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:01:00 -0400

A new documentary, produced by students at Nottingham University Television Station (NUTS), is set to tackle mental health in an all new way.

By talking to practitioners, students and the general public, ‘Mental: My Take’ will focus on the unique strengths which people dealing with a mental health condition often possess.

Executive Producer Thomas Denton explains: “The idea of ‘Mental: My Take’ is to look behind the label of mental health, to bring out the human voice, seek to demystify related issues and fight discrimination. By talking to those affected we want to show that it is not something to be afraid of.

“Great strengths are brought out in people who have suffered from mental health issues. They often have a unique skill set because they have had to not only had to deal with the challenges we all face, but have had to manage their condition on a day-to-day basis.”

Having gained the backing of organisations such as Mental Wealth UK, Nightline Association, Rethink, Mind, Mental Health Foundation and the University,

“Through the use of YouTube, we want to build a repository of information – of first person testimonials – which allow people to hear about the personal feelings and experiences of peers coping with similar issues. By allowing anyone to view it, it will become more than a documentary, it will become a resource.”

To find out more about ‘Mental: My Take’ or get involved in the project yourself, please visit: www.facebook.com/mentalmytake. Find additional information for individuals and professionals online. We also would like to take anonymous testimony.

Please get in touch, Documentary@nutsoline.org.

By Harry Waddle

The University of Nottingham

For the full article, please see the May edition of Exchange Magazine

Exeter’s ‘Mind and Music Project’

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:38:00 -0400

Exeter University’s Mental Wealth group ‘Mind Your Head’ have launched the Mind and Music Project - a series of open workshops ran in collaboration with World Music Choir groups. The group held a laughter yoga* workshop and Music for the Mind workshop on 20th & 21st February respectively, aiming to help students have fun, relax and improve their mental health.

The Music for the Mind workshop focussed on the impact music and singing can have on the mind. It featured chants and rounds, percussion and sign language, with an emphasis on togetherness and singing as a group. Singing with others is one way to feel uplifted and happy, and has a proven positive effect on mental wellbeing. This could be from the effects of connecting with others, positive reciprocation, teamwork and belonging.

Connecting with others and feeling like you belong in a group are two of the ‘10 keys to happier living’ developed by friends of Mental Wealth UK, Action for Happiness. For more information visit http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living

*Laughter yoga was initiated by the Indian doctor, Madan Kataria in c.1995. It first started out as a physical exercise ritual done by groups of men in Indian parks in the early morning. Kataria then created a small laughter yoga group, and from there the concept grew to the international network of groups. Laughter yoga combines diaphragmatic yogic breathing with group-initiated laughter which then more often than not develops into ‘real’ unstructured contagious laughter. Groups may also include a laughter meditation into their sessions. Laughter is of course renowned for its mood-enhancing ability, and there is some scientific evidence for it providing cardiovascular health benefits (such as reduced blood pressure) also.

What a week for Cambridge Mental Wealth!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:37:00 -0400

For the second year running, Cambridge Mental Wealth organised a fantastic Mental Health Week. Between the 14th-21st February the Cambridge Mental Wealth team organised various activities to help students beat the ‘semester 2 blues’ and learn more about mental health difficulties including depression, eating disorders and autistic spectrum conditions as well as the help available. They also looked into the impact of perfectionism, which is prevalent in highly pressured environments.

The group ran a variety of events, ranging from a drop in ‘coffee morning’ for students to gain information on mental health conditions, to a yoga and positive self-talk workshop. They had talks by the University counselling service to provide informal information and advice, and various other speakers, discussions and seminars. This included a talk from Robert Spoonert, the father of a former Cambridge student who died following a battle with anorexia, as well as a lecture from Simon Baron-Cohen of the Autism Research Centre.

The week was highly successful, with the group leaders acting as fantastic ambassadors for Mental Wealth UK and building the momentum and inspiration for further events.

Watch the Video about the week here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66Rl-siSo7s

Watch Interviews with the speakers, Simon Baron-Cohen and Robert Spoonert here: http://www.cu-tv.co.uk/category/factual/

New Student Mental Health Policy passed by NUS

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:34:00 -0400

Last week hundreds of students travelled to Sheffield to represent their university or college at the National Union of Students annual conference. At the event, students voted on a variety of policy areas which will guide NUS’ work over the next year and influence Students’ Unions across the UK. In the Welfare Zone of conference, a new and comprehensive Mental Health Policy, which was proposed by the University of West England and Kent University Students’ Unions,’ successfully passed and therefore becomes official NUS policy.

The policy resolves for NUS “To work with organisations such as Mind and Mental Wealth UK to increase NUS’ presence on work in mental health”. The policy also includes praise for peer-led initiatives, like Mental Wealth groups, and makes the commitment “To continue to promote the effectiveness of peer mentoring schemes on campuses and make the case for the positive effect it can have on wellbeing.” We look forward to working further with NUS to break down barriers surrounding student mental health and to establish more student-led groups that create positive change on campuses across the UK.

You can find out more about the NUS conference here: http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/conference/

The full Mental Health Policy can be found below:

Motion No. 612
Policy Area: Mental Health Awareness and Challenging Discrimination
Submitted by: UWE, Kent

Conference Believes:
1. Policy on mental health is due to lapse.
2. Mental health has become an increasingly growing concern among the student population.
3. It is reported that 1 in 4 people will suffer from a mental health condition in their life time.
4. Between 2007 and 2011 suicides by male students in full-time higher education grew by 36%, while female student suicides almost doubled.
5. NUS Scotland has carried out extensive work on mental health, notably the ‘Silently Stressed’ research and ‘Breaking the Silence’ report in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
6. The NUS Disabled Students’ Campaign has also carried out a lot of work in mental health in the last year.
7. One in four adults and one in ten children suffer a Mental Health issue.
8. Severe cuts are being made to psychiatric and mental health recovery services up and down the country.
9. Financial and housing concerns places additional pressures on students and this has been linked to a potential rise in MH issues/stress related illnesses.
10. That businesses could be doing more to address the issues and pressures students and community member’s face in the current environment.
11. NUS Scotland has run a student orientated Mental Health project called Think Positive, which has led to some very informative and successful research into the area, including Silently Stressed (2010) and Breaking the Silence (2011).
12. There needs to be a national campaign for Mental Health training to be implemented at all Higher Education and Further Education Institutions across the country.
13. Undertaking of this training by staff will mean they will be able to better differentiate between varying student welfare demands as well as having a clearer understanding of how mental health conditions can impact upon students, their studies and the relationship of staff and students with each other.
14. This brings numerous benefits to the student experience, because if universities are better trained in Mental Health awareness, then they will be able to better meet the needs of struggling students.
15. Administration of this training to all university and student union staff will increase their knowledge of policies and procedures that are in place to help staff understand boundaries, safe-working practices and communicating clearly with students suffering mental health difficulties.
16. That this training will be informative and helpful, as well improving staff confidence in supporting struggling students.
17. That the University of the West of England, in the partnership with the Students’ Union has been working to implement such training and seriously challenge Mental Health discrimination within the student and staff population, which has included both parties signing the Time To Change pledge to end Mental Health Discrimination.
18. More can be done to promote Mental Health awareness and anti-stigma campaigns at the level of the National Union of Students (NUS).
19. Stigma surrounding Mental Health and active Mental Health Discrimination is beginning to decrease.
20. Although stigma is decreasing, more still proactive campaigning needs to be done to ensure a continuing positive decrease.
21. The existence of campaigns like Time To Change is is very important to challenging Mental Health discrimination in general,
but also specifically in the workplace and in education institutions.
22. That liberation groups are at particular high risk of experiencing Mental Health issues and also the discrimination that goes with it.
23. There is the existence of ‘fit to sit’ polices surrounding exams.
24. This conference believes that some companies actively discriminate against people with mental health issues.

Conference Further Believes:
1. Given the climate of stress faced by students; academic pressures, financial hardship, concern on graduate debt & employment, a change of environment and a total shift of support networks – students are in a far more vulnerable position to suffer from a mental health issue.
2. In a climate of mass cuts to budgets of Colleges and Universities we cannot assume key wellbeing services are safe from cuts.
3. Institutions and Students’ Unions have a responsibility to work in partnership on mental health.
4. Work carried out on mental health must take a pragmatic shift from just running awareness campaigns to winning adequate service provision on our campuses to help those in need, and a serious commitment from a cross section of institutions to recognise and tackle mental health.
5. Whilst activities like ‘mental health weeks’ can be a useful tool for success, we shouldn’t minimise the issue into a week of action as a way to tick a box of tackling the issue. We must discover the next platform for mental health.

Conference Resolves:
1. To ensure that any training or workshops given on mental health give explicit tangible outcomes that can be won on campuses.
2. That the autonomy of the NUS Disabled Students Campaign on this issue is vital and to ensure leadership is derived as such.
3. To work with organisations such as Mind and Mental Wealth UK to increase NUS’ presence on work in mental health taking us from the side lines to the forefront.
4. To continue to promote the effectiveness of peer mentoring schemes on campuses and make the case for the positive effect it can have on wellbeing.
5. To lobby all Higher Education and Further Education institutions up and down the country to introduce and send staff on Mental Health Awareness Training to better understand how they can support students facing difficulties and know where the boundaries are.
6. To recognise the positive work that has been done by NUS Scotland and commission similar research to take place in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
7. To actively declare its support for The Time to Change Campaign and work with them to promote the auditing of educational institutions and businesses on Mental Health awareness practices.
8. To raise awareness of how Mental Health affects individuals from liberation groups and to work with these groups to implement targeted campaigns that address the issues they face.
9. To lobby the government to U-turn on its planned cuts to welfare services and Mental Health wards.
10. To lobby the government to review the Mental Health Act 2007 to provide more protection for individuals committed towards.
11. To continue to lobby to reduce public stigma surrounding Mental Health Discrimination and build upon the work started through the Mental Health Discrimination Bill.
12. To reduce and dispel the stigmas surrounding individuals with mental health issues and ensure they are not discriminated against in the workplace.
13. To call for ‘fit to sit’ policies and any similar practices to be abolished by educational institutions and review its provisions and practices for students affect by Mental Health issues.14. To lobby universities to include relevant information on extenuating/mitigating circumstances to help students get through their studies and not slip through the net.15. To lobby universities to actively oppose companies which display discrimination to students and individuals affected by mental health issues and to work with them to improve their practices.

Panelists announced for 20th March Web Discussion on University Mental Health Policy

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:53:00 -0400

Student Wellbeing Web Summit Panel Discussion, Wednesday 20th March, 14.00-15.30pm

Higher Education and mental health experts will be exploring the question ‘What should a university mental health policy look like?’ as part of the Web Summit ran by Mental Wealth UK
and Open Your Mind.

In 2011, the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ urged all universities to have in place a formal mental health policy. The issue has been made all the more pressing by data released in 2012 that suggested that there has been a marked increase in student suicides since 2008.

Considering that every institution is different, what measures should institutions put in place to support the mental health of their students?
As the student community changes each year, how should a policy be maintained to ensure it’s up to date and fit for purpose?

It is hoped that this discussion will be useful to staff and students working to promote mental health on campuses, as well as further national efforts to coordinate the promotion of mental health across the sector.

To take part please register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4245777693707723776. You will then be sent information about how to access the discussion room and will have the opportunity to share your thoughts and questions during the event.

The full schedule for the web summit can be found here or here.

You can also share the event or your opinions as it unfolds by tweeting @mentalwealthuk and using the hashtag #mwukweb

The Panelists…

Chris Brill, Policy Advisor, Equality Challenge Unit

In 2012, the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) reported on the problem of low disclosure rates from university students with mental health problems. The ECU is currently surveying students to look at how universities can support students experiencing mental health problems. Chris Brill is the project lead for work on Equality in Higher Education, and previously worked at the National Autistic Society where he gained experience in disability equality issues.

Ruth Caleb, Secretary, Working Group for Promotion of Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education (MWBHE), Head of Counselling, Brunel University

MWBHE is a national working group hosted by Universities UK and GuildHE that aims to promote collaboration between the different sectors, agencies and professional groups with responsibility for mental well-being in HE, and to influence policy within the subject area. The group contains membership from 9 of the leading bodies and groups concerned with mental health in higher education, and is due to survey universities to find out how many have mental health policies in place this year, following a similar survey in 2008 (as reported on in the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ 2011 report).

Sharon Doherty, Healthy University Coordinator, Healthy Universities / Healthy Settings Development Officer, University of Central Lancashire.

The Healthy Universities project has received widespread recognition and support for its advocacy of a whole-university approach to promoting health and wellbeing, and was recommended in the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ 2011 report into student mental health. Sharon Doherty has spent 20 years in public health & health promotion, and is currently based in the Healthy Settings Unit at the University of Central Lancashire, where, alongside supporting the Healthy Universities framework, she consults locally, regionally, and nationally, on delivering healthy settings approaches.

Colum McGuire, Welfare Zone Committee Member, National Union of Students / VP Welfare, Kent Students’ Union

As Vice President for Welfare, Colum represents students at Kent University on various issues relating to student welfare and recently led the Students’ Union’s Mental Health Week. He was also elected onto the NUS Welfare Committee, who steer the work of the National Union of Students Welfare Zone.

Ed Pinkney, Project Coordinator, Open Your Mind (National Union of Students – Union of Students Ireland)

Open Your Mind is the NUS Group’s Northern Ireland mental health project, and is co-run by NUS-USI and Mindwise. As the oldest student-led mental health project in the UK, having been launched in 2007 with support from the Big Lottery Fund, Open Your Mind delivers accredited mental health training and campaigning opportunities to students. Ed Pinkney took over leadership of the project in January 2013 after founding Mental Wealth UK in 2010, and has written about the challenges of implementing national guidelines for students’ mental health.

The Student Wellbeing Web Summit: What's the Story?

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:15:00 -0400

In February 2012, the Mental Wealth UK committee met to discuss a problem that had arisen. The committee planned to hold a conference to explore some of the key issues affecting students’ mental health and to share learnings and best practices, but no one could agree on a date or venue.

We knew that wherever we held it, there would be people that would struggle to make it due to timing and budget constraints. Then one of the committee said, “Hold on. What if we do it online?” After exploring the technology available, it was decided.

The Mental Wealth Web Summit was held in March 2012, and featured workshops on running mental health events and campaigns, a panel discussion with representatives from Healthy Universities, NUS, Mindapples, and Mental Wealth UK, and an ideas sharing forum exploring some of the most creative & effective campus initiatives for promoting mental health from the previous 12 months. Despite technological teething problems, the event proved to be a very effective platform for discussion and ideas sharing, and the feedback from participants was extremely positive.

On Wednesday March 20th 2013, the Web Summit will be returning, this time hosted by Mental Wealth UK and Open Your Mind. Once again, the event will look to provide guidelines on running campaigns, discussion about how we can improve the sectorial approach to students’ mental health, and a roundup of news and ideas from the past 12 months.

Since the last Web Summit, the conversation about students’ mental health has continued to develop. New data about disclosure rates and suicide figures has brought sharp focus to the issues raised in 2011’s report into student mental health. Journalists and professionals have commented on the mental health of students (here, here, here, here, and here), and on the 20th February, the second annual University Mental Health & Wellbeing Day took place.

Recognising that the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ 2011 report (http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/publications/collegereports/cr/cr166.aspx) provides a marker for students’ mental health, the panel discussion this year will look at one of the report’s most specific recommendations: that all universities ought to have a formal mental health policy in place. The report states:

“This [the university’s mental health policy] should ensure that they meet statutory obligations under disability legislation. It should also cover areas such as health promotion, the provision of advice and counselling services, student support and mentoring, and special arrangements for examinations (Universities UK/GuildHE Working Group for the Promotion of Mental Well-Being in Higher Education, 2006).”

The panel will look at what a mental health policy should look like, and how it can be kept up to date and policed. Appreciating the uniqueness of each institution, and the constantly changing nature of the student population, the panel will also take a step back and explore the usefulness of a mental health policy.

After the panel discussion, there will be a review of ideas and events from across the UK, particularly those coming out of the growing network of student-led mental health & wellbeing initiatives. The forum will also involve a roundup of useful resources, tools, and tips for running campus based mental health projects. All of the sharings and discussions will shared through social media channels and recorded and made publicly available after the day.

Above all else, the event aims to be a celebration of the work being done to promote good mental health on campuses by staff and students across the UK.

To register for the event, or to find out how you can contribute, visit http://mwukweb.wix.com/mwuk-web-summit.

The Friday Alternative

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 14:04:02 -0400

The Friday Alternative is a series of relaxed social events run by Mental Wealth Nottingham. These aim to provide a supportive, non-judgemental environment for those who may find socialising difficult. We do this by holding the socials in quieter locations such as rooms in the Students’ Union or local cafes and where possible forming a buddy system where a facilitator can meet attendees beforehand to help them feel more comfortable and answer questions. Obtaining feedback from members will be carried out throughout the year to improve their social experience.

In 2011, David Walmsley, a staff member from Queen Mary, put...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:28:00 -0400

In 2011, David Walmsley, a staff member from Queen Mary, put forward an idea for an event exploring the theme of Perfectionism. Recognising that students often struggle with perfectionism and that it can lead to anxiety and depression, he decided to help students come face to face with the issue, by bringing in great blocks of ice and inviting students to have a go at ice sculpting, emphasising that being creative and expressive can be more important than aiming for perfection. The idea received some funding to help make it happen, and the resulting event engaged hundreds of students and received a great reaction.

Stress Relief at the University of Birmingham

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:18:06 -0400

In spring 2011, this concept came out of Birmingham University.

The University of Birmingham Disabled Students’ Officer (DSO) and Disability and Mental Health Students Association (DAMSA) are organising a Mental Health Awareness event for March 23rd and 24th 2011. March 23rd will be an introduction to mental health, where student groups will be running discussion events to help people learn more about what mental health is, before the main event on 24th: ‘How’s your mental health today?’

We hope that by taking this event onto campus as well as the Guild, we can reach every student on campus and promote the idea that everybody, not just those who define as having a mental health problem, has a mental health which needs caring for. This will help students to see the enhancement of mental health as part of a healthy lifestyle, both inside and outside of campus life.

To promote mental health care, we have teamed up with many university and student run support services and activities on campus will include, but not be limited to:

Yoga taster session and Thrive (nutrition) workshop by the Munrow Sports Centre
Body Image workshop by the Women’s Association
Meditation with the Chaplaincy and Interfaith groups
Stress management workshop by University Counselling and Guidance
Introduction to Alternative Therapies by Well Naturally
Tours of the Winterbourne Botanical Gardens and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts to show students ‘safe’ quiet spaces on campus
A Nightline (student volunteer group) listening post
Coffee and cakes with DAMSA
Screening and discussion of a mental health film produced by the Guild TV society

In addition, the University has a mental health awareness officer who has contacts with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health trust, and we are hoping that the trust and staff from the new mental health hospital will also come onto campus.

We hope that the benefits of such a day will encourage all students to engage in activities which will improve their mental health, as well as meet people and societies which will offer new friendship groups. We strongly believe that peer support is of utmost importance when it comes to mental health care, and a clear show of support on campus will help students to realise that all people have a mental health to take care of! When students realise that they have both professional and peer support on campus, this will give students more focus on mental wellbeing, making people happier and redirecting those who would otherwise have considered suicide, while those who continue to contemplate suicide will know where they can find support.

Although most of the activities will not require funding as they are student-led, we will not be able to promote this event outside of the Guild and reach the full 28,000 university students without help towards advertising costs. We need to promote this event to students through marketing (posters, banners, flyers, t-shirts and electronic messages and bulletins) on all campuses and halls of residence, to spread a message of mental wellbeing.

Free Film Night!

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:16:08 -0400

Manchester Mental Wealth Matters believed in the positive value of film, and wanted to launch a series of events to stimulate discussion and promote wellbeing.

The ‘Free Film Night’, run by Mental Wealth Matters, has been running for two months now. It has raised the profile of the Group within the Student’s Union, as well as attracting a wide variety of people – undergraduate, postgraduate, staff, locals – to watch a film and take part in a discussion afterward. It serves as a monthly lynchpin to the group, along with the committee meetings, to keep up a sense of progress and achievement.

We want to show a variety of films – from films that challenge people, through to comedies and romances – as long as we feel there is some educational value, and the possibility to learn something about mental health and ways to promote positive wellbeing.

For example, for the first film in October, 50 people came to watch ‘The Virgin Suicides’, and 20 stayed for the discussion on the representation of suicide in the media. The discussion allowed people to air their views in a safe space, and to learn from the opinions and experiences of others. In this way, the relationship between the film and the discussion, and the learning from the discussion itself, contribute to a broader understanding of the issues around mental health, student suicide and campus wellbeing.

The film was, we recognise, a contentious choice. However, we believe that, when done in a safe environment that encourages learning, the showing of such a film will stimulate debate and positive action, as opposed to influencing people negatively. It is the watching of the film in a group, strengthened by a facilitated discussion, that makes it safe and justifies its showing.

We hope also that the film night acts as a good ‘way in’ to the group, for those who would be put off by awareness-raising and publicity activities, thus inviting people who would otherwise not get involved. We want to be inclusive to all kinds of people who are good at all kinds of different things. We believe a broad range of initiatives will achieve this – the Film Night being key.

This is part of our broader aim of raising the profile of positive mental health in the student population in Manchester, and of reducing the stigma attached to suffering from mental health problems, as well as encouraging people to seek help from the appropriate places.

The funding will be used for the following specific purposes:

• To promote the Film Night, printing good quality posters that can be distributed around the Uni to get more people to come along, containing the MWUK and Papyrus logos, to show that we are receiving funding from, and working with, both organisations.

• To provide refreshments and food, to create an incentive for people to come, including home baking and hot drinks (especially over the winter!).

• To buy and rent films to watch.

Although these things can be achieved without a lot of money, the £300 we hope to gain from this will make a huge difference to the quality and quantity of the advertising we can put out. On a campus saturated with events, we need to find our voice and grab student’s attention with what we do. In that way, the aims of the Group can be widely disseminated and thought about.

Lastly, the Films are run with the full knowledge of the Welfare Officer at the Union, who supports our group, and links us to the formal structures of the University, including safeguarding procedures.

Cardiff Mental Wealth 'Inner Child' 2011

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:56:29 -0400

One of the award-winning ideas from 2011. We’ll post their viral video later !

We at Cardiff Mental Wealth want to provide students with a completely new experience to promote positive mental health. There is a time in all our lives when we are young, free and more often than not without serious emotional worries and the world is a plethora of explorative pleasures. We would like to offer students the opportunity to revisit this period in their lives and, in doing so, remind them of the more light-hearted and simple joys of life.

The event will be themed around the title ‘Get in Touch With Your Inner Child’. The university have this year introduced a health awareness day, of which mental health is a pivotal theme. They are looking for annual initiatives which can be replicated in future years, and are fully supportive of this event as part of that day. The timing of the event is such that many students will be going through the student’s union and will be able to participate in the activities.

We will be looking to bring in face painters, street performers, a bouncy castle, a ball pit and other professional entertainers for the day. We will also be running challenges revolving around Lego and Scalextric, and promoting creative expression through art. The idea is to encourage students to remember this period of developmental freedom and promote a feeling of self expression through nostalgic activities. Many of the activities will incur a cost, and without proper funding we would be far more limited in developing the event, and consequently the positive student impact we would hope to achieve. It would be preferable not to draw funds away from our publicity campaign which we’ve acquired through fundraising activities.

We feel that the activities will offer students a welcome break from the stresses and demands of university life that can manifest themselves as a more serious problem and potentially lead to student suicide in the long-term. The timing of the event will be especially appropriate given that it shortly follows the exam period, which is often a challenging time mentally and emotionally. We shall also be using the opportunity to engage with students about the concept of mental wealth and ways in which students can further understand and improve methods for good mental wellbeing. The event will be run by student volunteers who will be actively engaging with other students to make them aware of the service Mental Wealth provide and that numerous welfare organisations are available to them should they require it.

The event will be rigorously publicised both before and after to maintain continuity of the idea that positive mental wellbeing is achievable and that students should regularly consider ways of maintaining a healthy mental state.

Mental Wealth Wednesday!

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:54:00 -0400

A planned event from St Andrews in 2011. Maybe they will tell us how it went?

We are organising a day of events to promote wellbeing and mental health in St. Andrews. Mental Wealth Wednesday will take place on Wednesday 23rd February 2011. This will promote individual awareness of mental wealth and challenge stigma and silence surrounding mental health, in order to assert the support, caring and understanding that define our community. We aim to transform St. Andrews into a place where people can talk openly and comfortably to each other about their mental health, knowing that they will be treated fairly and considerately.

This project is conceived and led by students, including support volunteers and members of the Student Representative Council. We are working closely with staff from Student Services and sabbatical officers, and collaborating with student societies, the Athletic Union, local businesses and schools. The events aim to educate people about mental health and mental illness, and to encourage a healthy lifestyle to increase wellbeing. They include:

Laughter therapy workshop
Special Breakfasts in halls of residence
Film showings, provided by the Mental Health Foundation
Mental health awareness workshops, including suicide prevention, from Breathing Space
Chill out evening in a local cafe – including music, comedy and poetry
Events at our Sports Centre, promoting the importance of exercise for wellbeing.
Mindfulness Workshop
Community Art Competition with the backing of a local artist.

We have been working to identify where funds are most required. Whilst we are applying for limited funding from our Student Representative Council, this will not be enough to realise the potential of Mental Wealth Wednesday. It is essential that we publicise our events and our message widely and effectively for this project to be a success. If given a Papyrus award, we would spend these funds on publicity. Our innovative publicity campaign will:

Attract people to our events
Challenge and change attitudes and
Promote the concept of Mental Wealth
Be designed by the group, at no cost
Feature an extensive poster campaign throughout University buildings and the town
Involve a give-away of pots of blowing bubbles, with information on them about our events and mental health more widely. Reflecting one of our key taglines: ‘Bursting the bubble of stigma and silence’.
Create material (designs, banners, posters and more) that will outlast the campaign and be reused for future Mental Wealth events, to help ensure the sustainability of the campaign.

Mental Wealth Wednesday will be a popular and innovative event, instrumental in promoting wellbeing in our community. It will create a conversation around mental health, and pave the way for future events and campaigns in St. Andrews. The quality and scale of our publicity will create a strong image and encourage high attendance at all events. It is through this that we are confident that we can change attitudes towards wellbeing; reduce the chance of students developing mental health difficulties; improve the experience of those who already suffer difficulties and so really change the lives of students at St. Andrews.

Wellbeing 'Exam Kits', An Idea from EUSA.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:41:34 -0400

An idea for a mental health project put forward by Edinburgh University in 2011:

Last year worrying statistics were published by NUS Scotland concerning the number of students who felt stressed out and what the most common triggers student stress. In response to this report EUSA, and more specifically, the student welfare forum and disabled student action group, wanted to take action. During last semester, to coincide with our exam period, we published a mental wellbeing guide, which included lots of tips and ideas on how to de-stress. For the exam period this semester, we would like to re-run a mental health campaign and build on our efforts last semester.

EUSA would like to produce a few hundred ‘exam kits’ for students this semester. Our student helpline society ‘Nightline’ produced a similar product last year, but on a much smaller scale. We would like to both continue and extend this innovative project and reach hundreds of students who will be experiencing stressful exam revision.

The ‘exam kits’ will contain a mental wellbeing guide, exam revision guides as well as some light relief in the form of snacks, drinks and extra stationary. They will also contain a wide range of information from mental health charities, including Mental Wealth UK, and other organisation, such as NUS Scotland, the NHS LGBT organisations, internal student counseling services and suicide prevention charities, such as the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust and the Samaritans. We have a large amount of valuable information we wish to distribute to students and funding will help us distribute resources in an appealing way. The ‘exam kits’ will package the information in a variety of ways including bookmarks, pens and leaflets.

Funding will go towards the ‘exam kit’ project by allowing us to pay for designing and producing of the mental health guide into a more concise format, suitable for exam kits. We can also purchase more, environmentally sound, canvas bags which will hold the exam kit, as well as some of the content, namely pens, snacks and drinks.

We hope that the exam kits and the mental health campaign of this semester will give students a stress relieving boost whilst they study. The exam kits are intended to be a fund source of light relief but also contain information about serious mental health issues linked to students, namely stress, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. By balancing the message of the campaign between lightweight and more serious elements, whilst simultaneously providing several hundred ‘exam kits’, we hope to reach numerous students who would otherwise feel isolated and stressed at this time.

Open Minds Project

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:39:25 -0400

Award-winning concept put forward by Liverpool’s Mental Wealth Group in 2011.

1. The World Health Organization have recently published concerning statistics that suggest the scale of depression as a mental illness is reaching levels that can be described as an epidemic. Depression is a key cause of suicide among young people. Isolation is a key cause of depression, and often this isolation can occur even when surrounded by friends and family. Open Minds’ Community Gardening project gives young people the opportunity to form relationships with strangers, with people who do not know their background, which can be essential as a form of ‘escape’ and relief.

2. Green skills obtained through the skill share initiative between young people and volunteersfrom the community, with an emphasis on recruitment from the older populations of the allotment communities in Liverpool, may be applied by students on campus in existing and future green projects e.g. Guild of Students Roof Garden project.

3. The funding will be primarily to design a campaign, recruit volunteers, and purchase any tools necessary, such as gloves and waterproof outer layers and/or high-vis vests.

4. The project has clear outcomes in the form of increased connectivity within and between different generations of a community, promoting positive perceptions of students in the community and in turn contributing positively to the social capital of an area. The funding will allow promotion of the initiative on campus, health and safety training of participants and volunteers, and adequate facilitation with equipment to ensure accessibility to the project by students with no experience of outdoor activities of this nature.

5. Without funding Clear Minds cannot afford to distribute promotional material to a wider section of the community than can be accessed for free using the Students’ Union facilities. Mainly, the procurement of safety equipment and tools would be impossible at this early stage of Open Minds as a student-led project. Any money left over will be used to print a personalized certificate and to compile an illustrated report (CD/email format) to distribute to participants and to be used as evidence for future funding applications.

6. There will be little if any reference to suicide and instead will emphasise the impact of the project on levels of health (physical) and wellbeing (Mental health). Open Minds will consider surveying a random selection of students on campus to collect opinions as to the negative/positive effects of including ‘suicide’ within promotional material for a mental health project.

7. There is no project within the Liverpool area at present which specifically links up students and older members of the gardening community. Existing student gardening projects do not have a specifically ‘health and wellbeing’ focus, either.

8. Open Minds who will organize and deliver the Community Gardening project is a student activity group based on the University of Liverpool campus.

9. Open Minds is a member of Mental Wealth UK, and as a founding member of Open Minds, I also sit on the Mental Wealth Student Committee.

10.Open Minds are in continual dialogue with the University’s Mental Health Officer to discuss all and any implications of our objectives and any projects we deliver. The Community Gardening project will be equally and robustly assessed in terms of its impact on student mental health and will be compliant with the Safeguarding Procedures as a baseline.

Leeds Met Wellbeing Fair, 2011: a student-led event in...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:40:05 -0400

Leeds Met Wellbeing Fair, 2011: a student-led event in association with Mental Wealth UK and MyWellbeing.org.

Featuring inflatables, zumba, refreshments, massages, and tons of information about mental health and wellbeing.

Keep Calm And Love Life

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:23:56 -0400

KEEP CALM AND LOVE LIFE

A campaign concept from Cardiff University Mental Wealth Group

In the UK around 2,000 young people under the age of 35 take their own lives each year.

Some of them are students.

And suicide doesn’t just affect the individual involved; instead it leaves behind a trail of bewildered and devastated friends and family.

SO WHAT CAN BE DONE?

We cannot stop suicide from occurring; it has always been part of our society. But there is sufficient evidence prevention and intervention can go a long way in helping somebody STOP from making the decision to take that final irreversible step.

STIGMA: Students with experience of suicidal thoughts at Cardiff University have indicated that there was sufficient shame and anxiety in discussing their suicidal intentions with others due to fear of being dismissed as overly-dramatic or being forced into situations where they were constantly under surveillance. This relates to discussions with both friends and mental health professionals.

THERE IS A NEED TO TACKLE THESE ISSUES ACROSS UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN A STUDENT-FRIENDLY WAY.

Project proposal: KEEP CALM AND LOVE LIFE.

AIMS: 1)To initiate self-worth and higher levels of self-esteem we want to ask students to think of the reasons why they are alive and what benefits they bring to this world that nobody else can.

HOW WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS:

1) Ask students to answer the simple question ‘why did you get out of bed this morning?’ Was it to see your friends, go to your lectures, go on a night out etc? Ask students to record these on camera, place these on our website, facebook twitter etc.

2) Ask students to write these and place on boards around the SU.

3) Do the same thing for the question ‘what do you do for others that is unique?’ ie are you good at making people laugh and smile etc, again camera, fb. Twitter.

See the Powerpoint Presentation for more! http://www.slideshare.net/mentalwealthuk/keep-calm

The Mind Matters Day, 2009. The event that kicked it all off!...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:37:00 -0400

The Mind Matters Day, 2009. The event that kicked it all off! From the Mind Matters Society at Leeds University.

In late 2008 Ed Pinkney, President of the Leeds University Enterprise Society, met with the Head of the Counselling Service to talk about how the Enteprise Society might be able to promote student services. Whilst there, he spotted a poster introducing the idea of a ‘mental health group’ and looking for other students that might be interested. Ed got in touch, met Dom Martin - a student who had had to take time off university the year before due to stress / mental health problems - and together they drew up a plan for The Mind Matters Society.

The first major event was the Mind Matters Day in February 2011, which took place in the main hall of the bustling student union. The counselling service and a handful of mental health organisations offered their time and energy to hand out leaflets and promote support services on the day, and a variety of freebies and entertainment was offered to attract students and engage them in the event. These included free massages, a bouncy castle, free food, DJs, and a raffle to win £300.

Over 700 students passed through the doors, participating in activities and learning more about mental health, and sharing ‘what they do for theirs’. The organisations involved congratulated the organisers, and encouraged the running of further events. Almost 1000 students completed a survey, helping the university to get a benchmark for mental health attitudes and awareness.

The event was featured in the local press, and was filmed by LSTV. The video of the event, featured above, won an award at the National Student Television Awards, and the Mind Matters Society was shortlisted for event of the year at the annual student awards.