Hi there! For those who don’t know me, my name is Aaron Townend and I am currently in my second year at this university studying Sport Therapy and Rehabilitation and I am running for the role of PTO for Mental Health Awareness.
Friends, myself and family have in the past and currently struggle with mental health in a variety of ways and sometimes we either haven’t had the support we sometimes need, or we are too ashamed to ask for it. It’s sad to know that this is the case for so many people. With the stresses of university life, it can feel like it is difficult to find the time for some self-care or just a chat to help unload your brain.
So, what would I like to do in order to help give everyone a chance to unload?
- Work with sports and societies to promote mental wellbeing within their respective area as well as offer social sessions so that their members or others can join in to destress, especially around exam and deadline periods.
- To create a student-led support group who will aid and assist both union and university staff in supporting students and others who come to us with mental health issues and seek support, by either pointing them in the right direction or just being there to help and listen.
- To make De-stresstival bigger and better with the help of YOUR suggestions with the potential to have more events all year round rather than just during the de-stresstival period. Because why should relief from study stresses be limited to a few days in the year? A weekly "Mentality Mile" or "Wellbeing Walk" for example.
So please feel free to get in touch with what you would like to see! (big or small!) and if elected I will ensure that your voices are heard across the university and together, we can help one another through our darker times!
And remember, it’s okay not the be okay!