This week marked Mental Health Awareness Week, so the four of us decided to run a Skills 4 Life session for our fellow Lower VI students and the Upper IV, sharing some of the important takeaways from a Mental Health First Aid England course we attended in January.

We gave a presentation on the crucial elements of mental health first aid, including warning signs to look out for when a friend or family member may be struggling, where to go for help, and how to manage stress effectively.

We found this course valuable in our everyday lives, particularly when either we or others are facing challenging situations. Our presentation to the year group included practical advice, as well as key information on how to assist someone experiencing a panic attack. By learning techniques and gaining knowledge about mental health, we are better equipped to provide necessary support or guidance when needed. In sharing what we have learned, we hope others may feel inspired to train to become mental health first aiders themselves. With 1 in 4 of us experiencing a mental health issue in any given year, mental health first aid is just as important as the basic first aid training!

We finished the session with time to fully relax by playing a selection of board games with friends.

It has been lovely to receive such positive feedback from our peers, with many of them expressing the value of our topic; saying they felt they came away with useful knowledge to help themselves and others in the future.

Hattie, Sophie, Kate and Maria