Monday 10th of October is World Mental Health day and in order to try to erase the stigma around mental health, AberSU officers are hosting Mental Wellbeing Week to encourage students to discover different ways in which they can look after themselves to ensure that they stay happy and healthy during their time at university.
Monday 10th of October is World Mental Health day and in order to try to erase the stigma around mental health, AberSU officers are hosting Mental Wellbeing Week to encourage students to discover different ways in which they can look after themselves to ensure that they stay happy and healthy during their time at university.
A whole range of activities will be happening throughout the week, such as a book swap, free exercise classes at the sports centre, a free meditation session, a ‘Big Night In’ hosted by our Student Minds society and much, much more.
https://www.facebook.com/events/157633564694302/
One of the activities running throughout the week is a Washing Line of Wellbeing, asking people to write an anonymous comment on one of our pink socks and pop it in a box on the stall in the Aber SU building. It could be a confession about your mental health, a piece of advice for those who are fighting a battle or share an idea on how you look after your own wellbeing. The washing line of wellbeing will be on display in the AberSU building all week.
To mark the end of AberSU’s Mental Wellbeing Week, but to kick start the AberSU full time officers’ campaign of the year, there will be a launch evening for the #stefansSocks campaign at Aberystwyth Students’ Union on the 15th of October.
#StefansSocks campaign started last year in memory of Stefan Osgood, who always wore a pink sock during sporting matches.
AberSU President, Lauren Marks paid tribute to Stefan during a Graduation Ceremony in July where his family accepted a Honorary Bachelor of Science Degree of Aberystwyth University on his behalf:
“Stefan Osgood, from Wallasey on the Wirral, came to study Mathematics at Aberystwyth University in 2012, and spent four years living in, studying in and making a lasting impact on the Aberystwyth University community. In March this year Stefan succumbed to the illness he had suffered from, quietly and with dignity for many years, and since then the student body has shown an incredibly strong community spirit and raised over £10,000 for MIND (a figure that continues to grow).”
“The Stefan’s Socks campaign, started at this year’s Varsity competition to raise awareness of mental health issues, and has since been taken up by Trinity St. David’s University, Swansea Vikings Rugby Club and Liverpool University Students’ Union, and continues to spread across the country. Mental Health Provision on all levels has been improved and will continue to be improved.”
Read Lauren’s full tribute here
AberSU are proud to support the #stefansSocks campaign that will run throughout the year and would encourage everyone, including sports teams, to purchase pink #stefansSocks from AberSU reception.
There are a range of activities being held on Saturday, 15th October to officially launch the #stefansSocks campaing kicking off with a rugby match between Swansea Vikings and BSB Aberystwyth on Vicarage fields; all in honour of our #StefansSocks and in aid of MIND Aberystwyth.
At 7pm we will be having a post-match party and an official launch for the #StefansSocks campaign. There will be fencing matches from AU’s own fencing club, live music from Pretty Visitors, video games provided by ACOG society and much more.
Entry is free, however we ask that you leave a small donation to MIND Aberystwyth.
More information can be found on our official Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/995033367271678/
There will be more events and activities taking place in the future to support our #StefansSocks campaign and if any local businesses or general public would like to get involved, we would love to work with the local community.
