January 28, 2020 - 1030 views
Hundreds of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students took the chance to participate in several valuable enrichment events across the college group's 12 campuses during the recent' Well-being Week' initiative.
The objective was to address a variety of well-being related issues which students face: from driving safely, through alcohol and drug awareness, to mental health issues. The college is keen to improve and maintain the health of all students and staff and to provide a healthy and stress-free environment.
During the week, students took part in a host of activities, including trying mocktails from Barnardo's, safe sexual health promotions and attending a wide range of workshops and seminars.
One popular initiative organised by the college's Welfare team was the 'Choose Life Project', which is a long established and unique educational and rehabilitation presentation. The project originated in HM Prison Liverpool in the 1990s and involves volunteers, ex-offenders and former prison officers staging an in-depth presentation relating to prison life, drug lifestyle and the effects on communities that drug use has.
This project has long been acknowledged as being an extremely effective and hard-hitting method of delivering messages, thereby persuading youngsters to make the right decisions in life, which in turn helps keep them, as well as their communities, safe. Over 300 students attended presentations at the college group's Rhos-on-Sea and Rhyl campuses.
The college's Welfare team were also busy engaging students in keeping their sexual health safe by promoting the All-Wales C-Card (Condom Card), which is supported by the Welsh Government.
The C-Card Scheme is a confidential sexual health service for young people (under 25 years of age), which provides free condoms, information and advice at convenient times and in a variety of locations. It is more than a condom distribution scheme.
The popular 'Deadly Impacts' road safety presentation, which is delivered by the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, North Wales Police and the North Wales Ambulance Service, was seen by over 500 students during the week at another four of the college's campuses.
Working with the college group's student enrichment officer, the 'Deadly Impacts' team delivered presentations aimed at young drivers and pre-drivers (between 16-24) concerning the consequences of poor or inappropriate driving. The team are returning to the college in the new year to visit another five campuses for yet more presentations.
The Student Welfare team ran a daily confidential drop-in service for students, where learners could go and chat about anything which may be concerning them, whilst the students' union handed out resources on keeping safe, alcohol awareness and where to find support if needed.
Sarah Wynn Griffiths, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai's student enrichment officer, said:
"A number of factors are known to influence the health of individuals, including background, lifestyle, as well as economic and social conditions. This week, we were delighted to see students take up the challenge, immersing themselves in a wide range of health and life-enhancing activities".
