This page is dedicated to all the mental health awareness campaigns the Union take part in each year.
*Trigger Warning* This page has mentions of Suicide. If you would not like to see content that mentions this we would advice you dont read this page.
For support, resources or if you are concerned about yourself or someone you knows mental health, please check out our Advice page dedicated to Mental Health.
You can do this here.
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Why does supporting mental health in students matter to you? Quote from your Wellbeing Officer Helen.
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"During my time as a student (2020-2023) the wellbeing service on campus had got abit of a reputation for being shocking; unemphatic, unhelpful and inaccessible. As we came out of lockdown students could see the service getting better but we were in desperate need of one to one support. So many students didn’t know where to turn when seeking support, a majority weren’t aware that we didn't provide counselling. It’s difficult to study knowing that all the students around you were suffering with loneliness, their mental health and burnout. It was more damaging knowing that they had no way to communicate this. There is this romanticised idea of university, that the friends you make in freshers week are your friends for life, that because everyone goes to university it must be manageable. But that isn't always the case and breaking down that idea to help students realise that just because your coursemate is coping doesn’t mean you have to, became a goal of mine. University is a frigid system that doesn’t allow much wiggle room, it is not one size fits all the fluidity of our students identity is not the reason they don't succeed. I wanted to be fighting for better provisions, and our Charlie Asked for Help campaign breaking down that idea became the most important thing to our student body. This gave voice to so many students, 50 testimonials were presented to student services, over 80 students attended our march. Student mental health is now at the forefront of university staff minds and change is coming, most of it is here. Supporting mental health in students matters to me because we’ve proved time and time again that we suffer because of university shortfalls. Our problems may not be the same but there is power in voicing them and supporting each other and it allows for us to stand in solidarity and stand for something more than ourselves. If that saves a life or helps even one person we would have succeeded. We will not be ignored. It is okay to ask for help."
Statement from your Emily Morgan (Wellbeing 2024-25): “I believe that the mental health and well-being of students is incredibly important. It is something that should be important to everyone and should not be ignored. I think particularly when living and studying at University there is a constant sense of imbalance, it can be the best years of your life but at times it's hard, it's challenging and it can be lonely. Everyone is here to study but the journey to get to this point is so personal and individual. Needing support and help from others is very normal and natural. I believe that support should be offered to students so it can create that feeling of it 'being okay to not be okay'. Everyone is in this together and no one should feel alone.”
Mental Health and Being Part of a Group
Back in 2020 a group of students worked together to create a video to share their experiences of how being part of a Sports Club at University has helped them and their mental health.
Watch the video here.
University Mental Health Day
University Mental Health Day is a national campaign aiming to promote awareness of student mental health. Check out the offical Campaign platform here.
#UniMentalHealthDay is an annual day to get the nation talking about student mental health and working together to make mental health a university-wide priority. No matter who you are, you can take part today!
Mens Mental Health Month
Mens Mental Health Month runs every November. This month is run to recognise the disproportionatly high rates of sucide within men. Due to societal expectations of masculinity, men are statistically less likely to talk to others about their feelings.
We encourage everyone to reach out for support either through a proffessional or by a loved one if you feel your mental health being impacted. It is always good to talk.
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Check out our video created by our Union President about National Conversations week
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Time to Talk Day
Time to Talk is a day organised by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and runs nationwide. The purpose of the day is to create supportive commmunities by having open conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health.
It is important to regonise we all have mental health and need to look after it the same we do our physical health. By talking baout it, we can support outselves and others.
Check out the Official Time to Talk page here.
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On the 1st of Febuary the Student's Union hosted a Time to Talk Day breakfast for its staff.
Check out our TickTok video about the morning here.
Why did we do time to talk breakfast for staff?
It is equally as important for us to provide safe spaces for staff to vent if they need to, having the Time to Talk breakfast for staff meant we could take a step back from work and get to know those people, which help us to destress and check-in. So often we are told to not bottle things up, that we’ll feel better if we talk about it and Time to Talk day gave us an excellent excuse to get together, have a cuppa’ and focus on anything but work.
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Why is supporting our staff team important? - Quote from your Wellbeing Officer Helen
We promise as Undeb Aberystwyth to support our students to be happy and healthy, but it is imperative to extend this commitment to our dedicated staff team. Just as we prioritise student wellbeing, we recognise the significance of ensuring our staff members feel valued and supported within their professional domain. Just as we do as students, no task, assignment, job is worth putting our mental health at risk. This environment serves as a vital lifeline, ensuring our members never feel isolated or overwhelmed by their workload. Whether it's seeking assistance or simply venting frustrations, our culture encourages open dialogue and understanding.
By nurturing such a workplace culture, we not only empower our team members but also enable them to serve our communities' best interests effectively. Behind every job title and email signature is a human being—a person balancing professional responsibilities with the complexities of life.
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The Bookhouse Project
The Bookhouse Project is an extension of our Charlie Asked for Help campaign, it is a small bookshelf located in the Wellbeing room of the union decorated with tiles painted by students and friends of Charlie’s to make up a memorial. We met as a group on Charlie's birthday to walk and paint in his memory. Students used it as an opportunity to talk about him in a safe space, the session was a good way to use creativity to create a product that would be in the union for years to come. 319 students across the UK have lost their lives between 2017-2020 and this number is only increasing. Each of them had family, friends, classmates and a story, this was just one way we wanted to appropriately memorialise a member of our community. With input from his mum and girlfriend, each tile is an expression of the people who care about him and our cause. It houses books ranging from fiction for students to get lost in to self-help to guide you in times of need. It has custom bookmarks that memorialise another student we lost Steffan, he will not be forgotten. It is crucial we continue the discourse about mental health and even more so important we encourage men to speak up about their problems and seek support. Each life matters and each will be remembered in it’s own way. This is how we choose to remember Charlie.
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If you would like to be more involved in this work please reach out to suvoice@aber.ac.uk.
Want to find out more about these campaigns?