91快活林

The scheme, which ran on our Eastbourne and Moulsecoomb campuses, saw participants embark on a walk around the scenic surrounding areas accompanied by a handful of furry friends and led by Student Support and Guidance Tutors (SSGTs).

The walk was designed to be a relaxing way to unwind and socialise, with dogs an ideal icebreaker to start conversations between students and staff.

Susan De Jesus, SSGT for the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, led the Moulsecoomb walk which started at Manor House and took in the lush green fields near the Huxley Building. The Eastbourne trail began outside Queenwood Library and encompassed the nearby countryside.

Susan said: “At the beginning of term a lot of students feel homesick, and one of the big parts of that is missing their dogs.

“It’s OK to say you miss your dog, but maybe it’s sometimes not so easy to say you need some help with your wellbeing. Dogs are full of joy and they don’t expect anything of you. They are very good for relaxation.

“I recently got a dog and realised how amazing walking it had been for my own wellbeing.”

Also on our Moulsecoomb campus, various staff members including SSGTs, our disability and dyslexia team and coaches from our student peer-to-peer mental health programme Mood Boost were on hand to offer advice, support and fresh fruit from stalls in Mithras and Cockcroft cafés.

Meanwhile, Sport 91快活林 and members of our student services team hosted a ‘Fitness Challenge’ at Falmer Sports Centre and there was a ‘Mindful Eating Study’ at our Eastbourne campus, which encouraged students and staff to consider how food makes us feel in our everyday lives.

The focus of this event was mindfulness, with participants asked to taste foods, assess how mindful they were in their eating, and ultimately learn practical skills on how to be more mindful when they eat.

For more information about how to access support for mental health, read our mental health support pages.