Solihull College & University Centre’s Mental Health Service recently collaborated with external mental health agencies to arrange bespoke workshops for students during Mental Health Week.
Students and staff were able to access 11 free workshops/presentations from highly experienced professionals in the field of mental health. Alongside the workshops, a photography competition was organised by the Student Enrichment Team encouraging students to get out into the green spaces in their local area – reflecting the theme of this year’s week which was Nature and the Environment.
The photography competition received an impressive 75 entries and was won by Hattie Pearce with her image of a bee. Runners up included students Rachael Heywood, Connor McGuinness-Dean and Rebekah Cawley.
Competition winner Hattie, 16, from Solihull, was delighted with first place. She comments: “I didn’t expect to win. I shot my picture of a bee whilst I was out in Stratford. After hearing about the Mental Health Awareness Week I thought it would be good to get involved in the competition and raise awareness myself.”
Fathima Ashraff-Ali, Mental Health Lead at the College commented: “It was a hugely successful week in raising awareness and reducing stigma around student mental health. I was really pleased with the engagement from staff and students at our 11 virtual workshops who fully participated in the sensitive yet important discussions around mental health and well-being. We are very fortunate to have developed strong relationships with specialists in the field of mental health in our region who are keen to continue to support our staff and students.”
For more information on the College’s mental health team please visit student services.
