Our commitment to you on World Mental Health Day
A message from Vice President Community Engagement - Daniel Crombleholme
As your Vice President Community Engagement, it's my job to make sure you're all happy, healthy and safe during your time at LJMU and a massive part of keeping well at University rests on mental health.
Mental health issues are not as uncommon as most people think, especially amongst students. According to a survey published by the National Union of Students (NUS) eight out of ten students stated that they have personally experienced some form of mental health concern within the past year.
Making health and wellbeing happen
At LiverpoolSU, with our latest Make it Happen campaign we asked students over two weeks to vote on an issue they want to see us working on over the next year these were Health and Wellbeing, Supporting Vulnerable Students, Sustainability or students were given the option of giving their own campaign ideas. What better day to announce that of the 3,544 students that voted, over 60 percent of you said you wanted to see us focus on health and wellbeing. Well, we’ve listened and over the next year we’ll be raising awareness and creating opportunities for students to focus on their health and wellbeing across university.
We're starting now
This week we’re working with LJMU Student Advice and Wellbeing to raise awareness around campus with a range of activities to get students thinking about their mental health and wellbeing.
What Liverpool has to offer
We’ve also looked at what Liverpool has to offer and put together some highlights for this World Mental Health Day. In the city, Liverpool Mental Health Festival 2016 will start today and run until 14th October 2016.This festival will help raise awareness of mental health problems, challenge the stigma of mental health and promote wellbeing.
Merseyside musician Bill Ryder-Jones has been announced as Patron of the Liverpool Mental Health Festival 2016. He has joined the festival to help people find creative and practical ways to openly express and discuss issues they might be facing. He is also keen to help people find ways to look after their family or friends who may be affected by ill mental health. Bill Ryder-Jones will be talking about this from a personal perspective, touching on his own experiences with mental health and how he has found ways to cope through creative outlets.
The festival will be holding a range of events which you can find on their website.
Our top picks of the festival:
What: The ‘Respect’ Art Exhibition
Where: Unit 51, 49 Jamaica Street
When: 7th - 16th October.
What: ‘Art for Wellbeing’ day
Where: Constellations, Units 35 - 39 Greenland Street
When: Sunday the 16th October from 11am- 3pm.
Don’t be ashamed or afraid of sharing your own mental health experience. If you have any worries or simply want to find out more, get in contact with us at studentsunion@ljmu.ac.uk.
Don't forget I'm here too,
Daniel
Vice President Community Engagement
Email: vpcommunity@ljmu.ac.uk
Phone: 0151 231 4904
