News / student mental health
University students organise charity walk for mental health
University of Bristol medical students have set up a crowdfunder to raise money for a 13.5 mile charity walk in aid of Project WalktoTalk, a campaign which encourages people to have conversations about mental health. The students are also supporting Bristol mental health charity Off The Record.
So far, the students have raised £310 of their £500 target. On Saturday, May 4, participants will call themselves ‘The Pink Army’, wearing pink t-shirts and hoodies to show support for those affected by mental health difficulties.
The project was originally set up by Ben West from Kent, who lost his younger brother to suicide in 2018. Ben says that the walks aim is “to encourage people to talk about mental well being without even realising that they have”.
is needed now More than ever
Ben West says that the project is for anyone who has been affected by poor mental health or even for those who just want to do the right thing
Universities have recently reported a five-fold increase nationally in the number of students using mental health services – from 9675 in 2008 to 57,395 in 2018, according to research from the University of Bristol. The report concluded that a whole population approach to mental health is required to encourage people to talk about their experiences and feelings so that people can build an awareness of the signs of being unwell.
The walk comes at a time when conversations are beginning to be had, as evidenced in film maker Arthur Cauty’s recent short film which included interviews with students from the University of Bristol and UWE openly speaking about their own mental health issues.
George Cole, a student at the University of Bristol and event organiser said: “few people feel confident to talk about the common, entirely human issues they face. They’re seen as conversations for professionals, GPs, wellbeing services, therapists.
‘’This is not true; we all have mental health and we all experience stress, sadness, distress, overwhelm and even illness. So, we are all in a place to talk about them. And by talking about them, we are no longer alone in what we go through.’’
Project WalkToTalk Bristol starts at Lloyds Amphitheatre at 9.30am on Saturday, May 4.
More information can be found at www.projectwalktotalk.org and to sign up for the Bristol event you visit the Facebook page.
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