Activate Learning celebrates World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is celebrated worldwide on 10 October each year.

World Mental Health Day 2024 campaign image

World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness of mental health concerns and to encourage people to work together to improve mental health support for everyone.  It’s a day to talk freely about mental health and utilise the support around you.

The theme of World Mental Health Day 2025, set by the World Federation for Mental Health, is ‘access to services – mental health in catastrophes and emergencies’. The theme highlights the importance of being able to protect your mental health in times of global instability.

For many of us this will mean different things, but whether you work part-time around your studies, are an apprentice, a T Level student approaching your placement, or planning to do some work experience during your programme, looking after your mental health while working is important for you, for others, the organisation or company and communities.

In May 2023, we launched our Mental Health Strategy, Mental Health Matters Here, which aims to support the mental health and wellbeing of everyone at Activate Learning. In addition, we have also created anxiety and stress courses for students too.   

Supporting your mental wellbeing and studies at college 

There may be times at college where you feel you may benefit from some additional support.  

When we look after our mental health and wellbeing, we ensure that we can focus on and make the most of our studies and relationships. 

To help you thrive in your personal life and at college, we offer lots of support services at college.

Your wellbeing and education are important to us. So, if you find yourself struggling, you can access:  

World Mental Health Day 2022 - Activate Learning - College support services

Who can I talk to at college about my mental health? 

At Activate Learning, your dedicated Student Support and Safeguarding team are here to help with any of your mental health or wellbeing concerns.  

We want everyone to feel safe and supported. Services at college include:  

Wellbeing Advisers

Our new Wellbeing Advisers will be responsible for supporting students who need support with mild to moderate mental health needs, while the Safeguarding team will retain responsibility for supporting students with moderate to high level mental health needs.

The Wellbeing Advisors can support students with anxiety, questions around their identity or gender, loneliness, feeling down or low, struggling with sleep, or experiencing an upsetting life event (relationship breakdown, bereavement or struggling with change).

Any staff member can refer a student to Wellbeing Advisors.

College nurse (Oxfordshire campuses only)  

The college nurse service covers: 

  • Contraception 
  • Sexual health and guidance 
  • Stop smoking 
  • Mental health 
  • Relationship advice and guidance 
  • Healthy eating 

Counselling   

A free and confidential counselling service is available at all students at Activate Learning.  

Mental health support   

Whatever your mental health concern, we have a support package available to help you. 

You can contact Student Support and the Safeguarding team by visiting them on campus, calling 01865 550 041 or emailing safe@activatelearning.ac.uk.  

If you need support with your mental health outside of college hours, you can contact: 

  • Samaritans: 116 123 
  • Child Line: 0800 1111 
  • Police: 101 
  • Emergency Services: 999 

Ways you can boost your mental health and wellbeing 

There are lots of ways you can boost your mental health and wellbeing outside of our support services at college.  

On World Mental Health Day, you could:  

Activities at college on World Mental Health Day 

On World Mental Health Day, students will be encouraged to wear green clothing to demonstrate their support for the day. You can also join your peers for the following activities on campus:

Banbury and Bicester College

Fundraising for Mind Green lead by LifeSkills alongside mental health awareness activities, support information around staying well and stalls in the Hall from 11:30.

Bracknell and Wokingham College

At lunchtime in Recharge there will be a stand with resources, a burden bin where you can write down worries and throw them away and a positive post box where anyone can write a positive message for someone and it will then be delivered to that person.

There will also be a picture of a mind and you can write what you think good mental health is and what you do for your wellbeing.

City of Oxford College and University Centre

Students and staff are invited to share a mental health tip or a positive message for others on our notice boards.

Reading College and University Centre

Lunchtime activities to promote the Wellbeing Adviser and mental health support.

Clubs and activities at college 

At each Activate Learning college, our Student Enrichment and Engagement team hosts a wealth of different clubs and activities.  

These clubs are the perfect opportunity to meet new and like-minded people and to improve your mental health. Clubs on offer across Activate Learning include:

  • LGBTQIA+
  • Dungeons and Dragons
  • Photography
  • Football
  • Book Club
  • Board games
  • Basketball
  • Study club
  • Students’ Union
  • Student Reps
  • Philosophy or theories
  • Movie Club
  • Duke of Edinburgh Award
  • Christian Union

You can learn more about student clubs, events throughout the year and activities at your campus by speaking to your local Student Enrichment Officer.

If you’d like to start a new club, your Student Enrichment Officer would be more than happy to support this!

World Mental Health Day 2022 - Activate Learning - Learning Environments

Utilising our Learning Environments at college and online 

Our Learning Environments offer in-person and digital services for all students.  They offer many great resources to boost your mental health in light of World Mental Health Day!

They are a great place for quiet study and research. You can borrow books, read magazines, use the computers and more!    

Activate Learning Online (ALO) is also a great resource, you can find out more about Learning Environments on ALO.  

On ALO, you can learn more about:  

Other World Mental Health Day resources 

Here are some other World Mental Health Day resources that you may find useful:

We hope you have found this content useful on World Mental Health Day. There’s lots going on across our campuses!

If you’d like to get involved in the conversation, join us via the Activate Learning social media channels using the hashtags #WorldMentalHealthDay and #WMHD.