The Mental Health Foundation today joins the Further Education (FE) community action campaign Good for ME Good for FE, which encourages FE students across the country to do voluntary work in their area.
The Foundation is also launching a well-being pack for students in FE, which will be distributed to colleges with support from the GfMGfFE network. The pack includes advice about improving and maintaining good mental health.
Suggestions in the pack include:
- Get more and better sleep: sleep allows our bodies and minds to process and recover from the day. It’s not always easy to achieve but good sleep is essential for our mental health. Quantity matters and so does quality – we need enough deep sleep and enough dreaming sleep
- Understand and manage feelings: being able to identify what we are feeling (for instance, excited, angry, lonely or ashamed) and why it's important for our mental health. So is learning ways to manage difficult feelings. Mindfulness is one example
- Help others: kindness is choosing to do something for ourselves or others, that is motivated by genuine, warm feelings. Research suggests that being kind helps others and also benefits our own mental health
Lauren McConkey, Project Manager for Higher and Further Education at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “75% of mental health problems start before the age of 24, so we are pleased to help Good for ME Good for FE to advise college students about how to protect and sustain their mental health. Our wellbeing pack suggests simple and practical things that students can do in their daily lives for good mental health. We are proud to join this partnership.”
With 138 colleges signed up nationwide, the campaign aims to generate £1m of social value by creating a long term, sustainable programme of community wealth and encouraging volunteering and fundraising across the country.
Dr Sam Parrett CBE, Group Principal and CEO of London & South East Education Group, a founding member of Good for Me Good for FE, says “We are delighted to welcome the Mental Health Foundation into our Good for ME Good for FE network and are grateful for the valuable contribution they are making. Improving the mental health and wellbeing of our staff and students within our college communities is a key aim for our campaign. We know that helping others can greatly improve a person’s wellbeing and GfMGfFE is encouraging this throughout its network. We are well on the way to reaching our £1 million target of social value, thanks to the amazing work of our colleges. The support we are receiving from the Mental Health Foundation is fantastic and we look forward to taking this partnership forward.”
The Mental Health Foundation joins the FA, Scouts, NAVCA and SLQ Sports Leaders as partners of Good for ME Good for FE.
For more information about Good for Me Good for FE, visit www.goodformegoodforfe.co.uk.
Register and download the Mental Health Foundation's Fundraising and Wellbeing Pack
The Mental Health Foundation has been the UK’s leading charity for everyone’s mental health since 1949. With prevention at the heart of what we do, we aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive. The Foundation is the home of Mental Health Awareness Week.