Here at Durham University, each of us belongs to one of sixteen colleges complete with its own unique JCR, Latin motto and quirky traditions. From the sporting of Hogwarts-like gowns to whether your Wednesday means Lloyds or Loveshack, it’s clear that your college shapes your university experience. Something that unites us all though, is our college’s pastoral support; the system we lovingly call ‘Welfare’.
Welfare deals with a whole range of issues and concerns, ranging from homesickness to the provision of sexual health supplies (hence the nick- name ‘condom fairy’). It is open to everyone no matter how big or small the problem and offers a further level of support on top of that provided by University-wide services such as Night Line.
At Van Mildert, the college I call home, Welfare is advertised as ‘a confidential, non-judgmental signposting and listening service, run by the students, for the students’. It consists of the Team, who run the welfare mobile and drop ins, essentially forming the front line of Welfare, and Committee, a group of reps ranging from LGBT to Livers Out who are in charge of campaigns and organising our infamous SHAG-Bop (Sexual Health and Guidance, obviously…) Of course, we can’t forget our Welfare officer, an elected member of Exec who oversees both Team and Committee.
Before even coming to university, I really valued access to a support system. Welfare was in fact one of the reasons I was so attracted to our collegiate system in the first place. After all, everyone needs help sometimes, from something as simple as asking about the local doctors surgery to talking to someone about work stress. Having been a member of both Team Welfare and Committee doing my time at Mildert though, I have become even more aware of its importance. Sure, not everyone will feel the need for its services, but it’s much more common that people seek support than you think, and not even just for the ‘little things’.
The truth is, mental health, especially that of young people, is going through a bit of a crisis. The National Union of Students surveyed 1,200 students and found that 20% believe they have a mental health problem, while 1 in 10 experience suicidal thoughts. And this only gets worse the higher you get up the league tables. Welfare teams at Cambridge alone allegedly anticipate 50 to 60 suicide attempts per year. In a time of increasing academic and social pressure on the youth, mental health services have never been so in demand.
And this is when we know many that should seek help, in fact don’t. According to a survey by a higher education charity, university students are simply not seeking help for fear of receiving unfair treatment. This is only made worse by the lack of government backing. Indeed, since 2010, the budget for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in England has fallen by 6%.
Never before has the value and appreciation of Welfare been so vital. You don’t need to play down feeling down or shrug off stress. Welfare is there for a reason. The bottom line is, whatever the problem, no matter how big or small it may be, you should always feel you have someone to talk to; someone you can count on and not have to worry about consequence or judgement. There is no need to suffer in silence. Welfare is there for you, so use it! Use it and embrace it! There is no shame in asking for help, and I can guarantee, you’re certainly not alone.