Mental Health Awareness week

From Monday 12th – Friday 16th May, learners at Thornbeck College celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week, aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of mental health and identifying ways that this can be promoted. The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week was community, highlighting that a positive and supportive community is vital for positive mental health and wellbeing. Staff and learners captured this by participating in a range of activities including:

·         College Community Quiz Afternoon

o    Coming together as a collective highlighted the strong community we have within college, serving as a reminder that there is always somebody there

o    Active Minds state that 67% of young people tell a friend that they are struggling before they tell anybody else, this activity reminded learners that they friends around them at college and provided them with an opportunity speak to them

·         Walk for Mental Health

o    Walking encourages regulation and a mindful approach, the mental health charity ‘Mind’ suggest that taking a break and a change of scenery when feeling overwhelmed can help you to relax and relieve feelings of dysregulation or distress

o    Learners were supported to recognise the positive benefits that this had on them, many of which identified that this is something that they could implement in the future

·         Wear it Green for Mental Health

o    This is a National Event founded by the Mental Health Foundation, that took place on Thursday 15th May

·         Visit from Bella the Therapy Dog

o    Bella accesses college regularly and provides a number of positive benefits to learners including: a reduction levels of dysregulation, encouragement of social interaction and the promotion of emotional regulation

·         Ice Bucket Challenge

o    This is a very current global fundraising campaign participated in by people across the world in the attempt to raise awareness and ‘improving’ the discussion surrounding mental health

The celebration of this event has promoted learners’ positive mental health and wellbeing, as well as supported their community inclusion in a range of ways. It has allowed them to build and maintain their friendships within college, as well as take part in events that are happening across the world in the attempt to remove the stigma surrounding mental health. This provides learners with the understanding they have a place within their community are able to effectively contribute towards it. The skills that learners have developed throughout this event will continue to support them throughout their adult lives.