Mid Kent Mind (MKM) and Ashford College (Part of the EKC Group) have launched a new partnership supporting mental health and wellbeing whilst raising awareness of this crucial subject within the college community.
The mental health charity already works with many schools across Maidstone, Ashford and Swale. They provide a mixture of group support, one-to-one sessions and wellbeing activities for young people, and hope that this new partnership will enable them to support more young people at a vital transitionary stage in their lives.
Both parties are keen for the partnership to benefit students attending the college. Mid Kent Mind has already provided Ashford College with wellbeing resources and are also exploring offering cognitive behavioural coaching courses to students in coming weeks.
Henu Cummins, Chief Executive Officer, Mid Kent Mind said:
“We know that young people attending college are at a critical stage in their lives as they begin to transition into adulthood – and for many young people, that can bring feelings of anxiety and stress. It is why we believe passionately that early intervention and prevention is key to supporting our young people as they develop new skills for managing their wellbeing.
We are delighted that the team at Ashford College share our vision for their students and look forward to further exploring how we can work together to strengthen the mental health support available to young people.”
Susan Bonett, Principal, Ashford College, said:
“Our young people are at a vital stage in navigating and managing their mental health. In response to the mental health needs of our young people, struggling with the transition to college, our Enrichment Officer reached out to Mid Kent MIND who have responded incredibly in offering to support all our young people in building and developing key skills such as emotional resilience. Ashford College staff and students are extremely grateful for this opportunity to build a powerful partnership with Mid Kent MIND.”
Alongside delivering support services for students through this partnership, Ashford College will also use it as an opportunity to fundraise for Mid Kent Mind. It is hoped that through this fundraising, the charity will be able to support even more individuals in the local area.
To learn more about this partnership, visit: http://www.maidstonemind.org/ashford-college-partnership
