18 years of University Mental Health Day
Date 6 March 2025
6.03.2025The Counselling and Mental Health team reflect on 18 years of University Mental Health Day at the University of Northampton
The first University Mental Health Day (UMHD) was piloted by the University Mental Health Adviser Network (UMHAN) in 2008. There were a few events held at a select number of universities, of which UON was one. The original premise was to hold events to raise the visibility of mental health on campus to help to break down stigma, but also to promote the services available to support students in managing their mental health.
Since then, the event has grown and grown across the UK and at UON, and in 2012 UMHAN joined forces with Student Minds to run the day together.
Our Counselling and Mental Health Manager was a founding member of UMHAN and has always been proactive about organising UMHD events at UON. She remembers that with it being in mid March, we have had the challenge of snow affecting footfall, and more recently lockdown, when the 2021 event was remotely delivered by pre-recorded videos from local services and the Counselling and Mental Health Team. These bite-sized videos are still available on YouTube and via our University Mental Health Day page on the Student Hub [log-in required], topics include restorative yoga, square breathing, reducing loneliness, and sleep therapy.
Other activities over the years have included:
- Food and Mood stand with free popcorn and an interactive quiz
- Suicide awareness and prevention training
- Free reflexology hand massages
- Sand mandala
- A speaker from Action for Happiness
- Physical health and links to good mental health – free frisbees
Our Mental Health Nursing students and Students Union have over the years offered activities such as relaxation sessions, a stress bucket activity, mindful walks, BSL feelings and emotions session.
Our popular free café, organised by student services staff who used to donate homemade cakes, is now sponsored by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor.
Our workshops have included managing stress, meditation sessions, and more recently, looking at laughter for dealing with life’s challenges.
Since the move to the Waterside Campus, the event has been able to grow with the fantastic events space the Learning Hub provides. It’s great to see local NHS and third sector services join UON staff to provide information, advice, activities and freebies.
Stall holders report that over the years, students’ confidence in approaching stands has increased and engagement last year was at an all time high with 3,487 logged visits to stands, but there will have been many more who were not recorded, especially on the busiest stands where it can be difficult to keep up with logging visitors. In 2022, we logged 1,267 visitors to stands, an increase of 64% in engagement over the past 2 years.
The Students Union conducted an event survey in 2024 and found that of the 81 students who participated, 96% of those students rated the event 4 or 5 out of 5, and 98% said they would recommend it to a friend. Students reported that they most enjoyed the variety of stands and activities, visiting the stands and petting the animals.
It’s taken a lot of work over the years to build the event to what it is now, but it’s a wonderful event with to run with such a positive energy and message to communicate.
It’s good to talk, and there is a wide variety of help out there for our staff and students to access should they need to. We hope to see you there!
University Mental Health Day takes place on 13 March 2025.
Find out more about University Mental Health Day
The Counselling and Mental Health Team at the University of Northampton are here to help and support students with their mental health, from guidance and resources to crisis support and assistance.