We Will Be Heard

 

1pm Friday 15 March

We are organising a gathering of students in The Square. From 1pm, students will be able to collect an item from The Hive, add their name to it, and bring it to The Square to be with other students in solidarity.

For more information, read the message form your student officers below.

 

During the evening of Wednesday 13 March, the Student Officer Committee met to talk about what we can do next for our community who are going through a difficult time following the announcement of Theo Brennan Hulme’s death.

We want to let you know that there’s no right or wrong way to feel right now. Some students are feeling upset or worried about themselves or friends, we’d encourage you to speak to each other and those in Student Support Services who will do all they can to help. Some students are feeling angry and calling for more to be done, [https://www.change.org/p/david-richardson-directly-address-the-mental-health-crisis-at-uea], we share your view that things need to get better here and we want to work with you to amplify your voice.

It is important in the coming days, that students feel like they can seek support from wherever they need that so we’ll be clear in saying that students should feel able to access Student Support Services.

Last night, we communicated directly to the Vice Chancellor immediate actions that students had suggested he should take in the coming days. We know these actions won’t be the answer and we want to be clear that whilst mental wellbeing is clearly linked to mental health, activity to support positive mental wellbeing is no alternative for mental health support.

On Friday (15th March), we will be organising a gathering of students in the square called ‘We Will Be Heard’ https://www.facebook.com/events/407913353115100/. From 1pm, students will be able to collect an item from the Hive, add their name to it, and bring it to the square to be with other students and show solidarity. 

In the coming weeks we’ll release more details as to what we’re calling on from the university. This includes better training for advisors, more counsellors, mental health first aid training as well as issues raised in the growing change.org petition.

In the meantime, please contact Student Support Services if you need support. Now more than ever, we need to be there for one another, so look out for your housemates, your coursemates, your friends. 

With love, 
Your student officers x

• Help and support is available, so please contact the Student Support Service (01603 592761 or email [email protected])
• Norwich Nightline? are available for a chat from 8pm - 8am. You can find out more at https://norwich.nightline.ac.uk or ring 01603 597158.
• Need to talk? Call Samaritans on 116 123 24 hours a day.