Students at Newbury College showed their support for World Mental Health Day today by writing positive words of encouragement for each other on specially designed t-shirts. According to the NHS, as many as one in four people are affected by a mental illness in the UK. The positivi-T' t-shirts, which are on display at the College, are a thought-provoking way for the students to openly discuss and share issues surrounding mental health.
College Sport Maker, Louise Neil, said: We were delighted by the fact that so many students came forward and wanted to get involved, as it is not always easy for students to openly share their feelings on this subject. We also distributed the NHS's Little Book of Sunshine ' a book offering tips to help young people cope with stress.
Tutorial Programme Manager, Steve Greenwood, said: Working with the students on World Mental Health Day is the start of a concerted campaign to highlight and improve the wellbeing of our students. Here at the College we are fortunate enough to have our own counselling service and a highly experienced team of pastoral tutors. The event helps to raise the profile of mental health at College and highlights the hugely important role that students and education professionals have in providing support and solutions.
Local youth counselling service Time to Talk' was also present at the event and provided display materials. World Mental Health Day was promoted locally by West Berkshire Council and its Emotional Health Academy. The event was used to obtain feedback to improve services locally.