By Laura Reid, University Management Correspondent
A further march protesting ‘poor mental health services’ at Bristol University has been announced for the 21st November. This comes after less than 1% of students filled in the University’s mental health consultation.
The march has been organised by a combination of Bristol societies, who include: Support Our Services, Bristol Cut the Rent, Bristol Student-Staff Solidarity, Bristol Green Soc, Bristol University Intersectional Feminism Society and Bristol Labour Students.
In their collaborative press statement, the societies stated:
‘We have decided to organise this demonstration for a number of reasons that have come to light in the last few weeks. These are as follows: the lack of action from the University after the last demonstration, and the University’s denial that they are creating an environment for students that is actively harming their mental health, which includes the financial pressure from high rent in university-owned halls.’
The demands of this new march are:
- Drastically increased funding of the Student Counselling Service, with the aim of cutting the waiting list and uncapping the number of counselling sessions available to everyone in the university community.
- Expanded specialist mental health services to ensure students with complex
mental health needs are helped, particularly with full-time psychiatrists and more funding for SHERPA. - 50-50 rent: 50% of all beds at 50% of the maximum maintenance loan by next year, to reduce the financial pressure on students from exploitative living costs.
- Revoking association with the PREVENT strategy and combating the hostile
environment on campus, removing the border industry from campus and full
divestment from any border industries. - Democratisation and transparency of our University, including returning to a democratised structure and publishing termly budgets of the running of university accommodation and equalities admissions data for all courses and halls.
This new protest follows on from the large 'March for Better Mental Health Services' back in May, which attracted hundreds of student protesters. Whilst the march in May mainly called for better mental health services, the organisers of ‘People Not Profit’ will raise concerns surrounding the impact of high rent on students’ mental health.
In response to the announcement of the march, a University spokesperson has said:
‘We share the passion and concern our students feel about mental health and wellbeing and respect their right to peaceful protest.’
Its announcement comes directly after the end of the University's staff and student consultation. By the time the consultation regarding Uni strategy ended on Wednesday 7th November, 192 students had commented on the wellbeing strategy, accounting for less than 1% of the student population.
The organisers of ‘People Not Profit’ described the consultation form as ‘disappointing and long-winded, meaning that few students filled it out.’ Despite the relatively low response rate, the University have stated that they ‘received a great deal of very helpful feedback from students – including the march organisers - on our draft Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy’.
Support Our Services have argued that ‘the document was far too long and abstract, and did not take into account the busy lives of students that do not, in most cases, allow for a serious analysis of policy.’
Moreover, they stated that the consultation document was poorly promoted, relying on the SU; ‘a good forum but nowhere near broad-reaching enough: as evidenced by the fact that 99% of students were left disenfranchised.’
‘This doesn’t show that students don’t care, it shows that the university won't take the trouble of making a consultation that is actually accessible.’
Support Our Services
Third year student, Ostin D’Silva, shared the link to the mental health consultation on his own Facebook page. However, he said that, ‘I think the consultation wasn't publicised very well by the Uni as a lot of people didn't know about it until I told them and posted about it.’
Following the low response to the consultation, this march surely hopes to galvanise the University into further action on mental health, and additional concerns surrounding high rent.
Featured Image: Bryan Wong / Bryan Wong Photography
Most people who are thinking of taking their own life have shown warning signs beforehand. These can include becoming depressed, showing sudden changes in behaviour, talking about wanting to die and feelings of hopelessness. These feelings do improve and can be treated.
If you are concerned about someone, or need help yourself, please contact the Samaritans on 116 123.
Other student support services include:
Young Minds https://youngminds.org.uk/ 0808 802 5544
Nightline https://www.nightline.ac.uk/want-to-talk/
Papyrus https://www.papyrus-uk.org/ 0800 068 41 41
Student Minds http://www.studentminds.org.uk/findsupport.html
