Event Information
Monday 5th October
ID: 894 0341 3235
Passcode: 303705
https://cardiff.zoom.us/s/89403413235?pwd=cDBTVTBNeDNhMkh3WE1kbzZGQjhOUT09
Join Saib (meaning pause/rest in Welsh) to deliver workshops on mental health and wellbeing in secondary schools around Cardiff. Workshops will be age-appropriate sessions, covering a range of topics and will have the core aims of reducing stigma, providing accurate information, and encouraging communication and help-seeking behaviours.
You as volunteers will be hands-on with running these interactive sessions in groups of 2 or 3. You'll be teaching Years 7-13 on the below topics:
- Change Ahead (Dealing with Transition)
- Self-care and Wellbeing
- Life Unfiltered (Self-esteem and Social Media)
- Exams and the Stress Response
- Tackling Mental Health Stigma
- Supporting Someone Else's Mental Health
- Understanding Loss and Grief
Why?
Wellbeing is being introduced into the curriculum so teachers will soon be required to deliver these lessons, but there are advantages to having external volunteers leading the lessons in an informal, near-peer format. When it comes to sensitive issues like mental health and wellbeing, students can feel more comfortable opening up to an external volunteer than a teacher that they see every day. The informality of the lessons can prove to be more engaging and better received than formal lessons. Having student volunteers who are closer to the age of the students can also help with relaying the material in a relatable way.
As well as being valuable to the schools, it will be very rewarding for volunteers. You will undoubtedly feel like you are making a difference to young people’s mental health, and might help your own mental health and wellbeing in the process.
When?
Workshops will begin in mid-October, after volunteers have been screened and trained. Workshops will take place during school hours (Monday to Friday, 9am - 4pm) and volunteers will be able to sign up to sessions whenever they are available. We require volunteers to take part in 3 sessions per semester to ensure that we can consistently deliver to schools.
Where?
Participating schools will be in the Cardiff area and transport will be arranged by us, free-of-charge! Volunteers will meet at the Students' Union and will travel together to the schools.
Who?
Anyone is eligible to apply for this project, students and non-students. All we ask is that you are available to attend the workshops in Cardiff. If you are a non-student or a student from outside of Cardiff University, you will need to register with an Associate Membership in order to sign up to this project. You can do this via the link below:
https://www.cardiffstudents.com/account/register/guest/#ctl00_Main_txtFirstName_fp
How?
Applications are open now and close Wednesday 14th October 2020. Purchase a (free) membership below and you will then be able access our application from. If you refresh this page after purchasing your membership, you can find the application form in the top left corner, under a tab labelled Applications. Clicking this tab will redirect you to a Google Forms document that we are using to collect applications. Please fill in the questions provided. Once you have been approved as a volunteer, you will be required to get an enhanced DBS check (more information will be given if you are accepted) and attend compulsory Zoom training on Sunday 18th October (time TBC).
But COVID?!
We will be doing all we can to ensure the safety of volunteers and secondary school students. We will be constantly reviewing guidelines and adapting accordingly, but where possible, will go above and beyond the basic requirements. We believe these workshops are needed, now more than ever, so are committed to finding a way to successfully deliver them.