9th January 2025
Barking & Dagenham College hosted a series of events recently all designed to break the stigma around mental health.
An insightful panel discussion entitled ‘Breaking the Stigma: Mental health in the classroom’ brought students from across the college together to discuss their views and opinions around mental health. The lively discussion proved a great success and was also an opportunity to promote wellbeing throughout the college community.
The panel discussion was followed by a ‘Tea and Talk’ event. Students were encouraged to join staff and fellow students so that they could discuss mental health and talk about any issues they may have in an open and relaxed environment. The event enabled those that attended to really open up about how they were feeling, and it was really enjoyed by everyone who participated.
The college’s Enrichment Team also set up a station where everyone could write positive affirmations to share their support. The boards quickly filled with lines such as ‘always believe in yourself’, ‘stay positive and never give up’, as well as ‘let it go, you deserve to allow yourself to be happy’ and ‘treat people with kindness’.
Wellbeing and mental health is something that the college takes seriously. At Barking & Dagenham College the Enrichment Team is always on hand to provide students with help on any issues they may have, and offer support with many topics including mental health and personal development. Students are encouraged to visit the ‘Learner Support Zone’ if they are struggling and seek help whenever they need it.
Claire Cockburn, LRC and Community Coordinator at Barking & Dagenham College said: “These events were a great opportunity to showcase the support that is on offer for our students here at Barking & Dagenham College, and everyone was brilliant in taking part in the activities.
They really got involved and were keen to share their experiences, tips and advice to others. For us, ensuring our students get the best experience possible from college includes making sure that their wellbeing needs are being met too. We have an open-door policy so that our students know that if they need help, it’s here for them.”
