The OLLIE Foundation OLLIE
Home for the Holidays: Students Mental Health Support
Fundraising for The OLLIE Foundation
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** THANK YOU SO MUCH! In under 24 hours we have reached our fundraising target which is testament to your generosity and the vital importance of our work.**
*** Please Note: While £3,000 was our target, it is not our limit. For every £150 raised we can put on another mental health support session. The more we raise, the more young people we support ****
Things have been tough for our young people this year. St Albans District supports its young people to flourish and for many, this includes going to university. This is usually a time of excitement, newfound independence and an important rite of passage into young adulthood.
This year has been drastically different - after the uncertainty of exam results, a socially-distanced summer break has been followed by a first term of remote learning, student lockdowns and a complete lack of liberty. The experience for many young people whether in their first year or third, has been traumatic and induced heightened states of anxiety.
Tragically, there has been at least one suicide in a UK university each week since term began.
The OLLIE Foundation, a suicide prevention charity, offers a range of important and useful online talks that are well received and considered to be highly effective by delegates.
Our plan is to operate a rolling programme of three courses that we know support delegates manage stress and anxiety, and run them on a weekly basis so that students returning home from a stressful autumn term at uni, into a Christmas that will not allow them to see many friends or family, can access useful support and guidance that may help them better navigate this time.
For every £1,500 we raise, we will be able to provide another month of support to keep our young people safe.
We know these worries will be there for sixth form students too, so our offer is open to all sixth form, college and university students in the St Albans District.