ALTON COLLEGE PARTNERS WITH MIND TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Public Service students learned more about the charity Mind and the importance of mental health thanks to a guest speaker at Alton College.

Public Service students based at our Alton Campus were visited by Lorna Howes, a Sports Club Engagement and Community Fundraising Officer for Havant and East Hants Mind.

Lorna spoke to the students about Havant and East Hants Mind in-depth and the importance of mental health, alongside the significance of the Mind logo on the new Public Services uniform.

The Mind logo is now on the back of the Public Services t-shirts, which not only demonstrates the partnership between HSDC and Mind but also continues to raise awareness of the charity through each student.

The students were also tasked with coming up with fun, active ideas for a fundraiser to support Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2024. Ideas such as football matches and fancy-dress walks were discussed, which excited all students in attendance.

Kirsty Harley, Public Defence Service Course Lead said:

“A huge thank you to Lorna and Mind for coming in and building this great partnership with us. We are looking forward to growing the partnership further and seeing how we can work more closely together.

I am excited about Mental Health Awareness Week and the great event the Alton cohort will be running and the money they will raise.”

Lorna Howes, from Havant and East Hants Mind, added:

“At Havant and East Hants Mind, we campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding about mental health. Our partnership with HSDC Students (Public Service and Sport) has been and continues to be a great collaboration for our charity.

I look forward to the students putting their ideas and plans into action during Mental Health Awareness Week, where they will be hosting a range of physical activities to fundraise and support our local free-to-access mental health well-being and crisis services.

Thank you to Kirsty, who has facilitated this opportunity, and to all the students for engaging in and supporting mental health conversations.”

For more on Havant and East Hants Mind, visit here.