Mental Health Awareness Week 11th – 17th May 2015

The Sixth Form College proudly supported Mental Health Awareness Week (11^th May – 17^th May) through a series of tutorial sessions and external organisations visiting the college to help raise awareness of the stigmas associated with Mental Health and where to find support available to anyone affected by it.

Students were able to speak with representatives from The Open Door Centre through the week to learn about the issues surrounding mental health and what they as an organisation do to raise awareness. The Open Door Centre describe themselves as offering “Creative Mental Health Support and Musical Provision for Young People.” They aim to tackle stigmas attached to mental health and increase tolerance and inspire discussion of the issues surrounding mental health in a more creative way through music and local events.

Students were also able to speak with representatives from the The Early Intervention Team from the Stein Centre who were able to offer students advice on good mental health such as ways to deal with stress and pressure – particularly during the exam period and how to promote a good night’s sleep.

Personal and Guidance tutor Anna Kennedy led on the organisation for Mental Health Awareness Week and explained the importance of promoting good mental health to students,

“This can be a highly stressful period for students facing the pressure of exams so it is important to ensure they all feel fully supported and mentally prepared. We hope that by raising awareness about mental distress they feel empowered to seek support where necessary, both inside the college and within their personal lives. Encouraging students to enter into discussion around mental health also reduces stigma.”

The Sixth Form College offers a wide variety of support to students to ensure they develop personally as well as professionally. All students benefit from the support of their own Personal & Guidance tutor through weekly tutorial sessions and one-to-one sessions to discuss workload and progress whilst at College. Mindfulness Sessions are also offered to students as part of the wider support and enrichment package – a form of psychological training which is beneficial for reducing high stress and anxiety levels. The Learning Support Team at the College is also pro-active about supporting students and offers a listening service to students that feel they need extra support or someone to talk to.