Meet The Committee: Volunteer Coordinator and Facilitator

Take a peek at who our committee members are and what they do for OpenMinds in these short interviews! Today we meet two of the people who work closest with our volunteers: Our Volunteer Coordinator, Sian Brooks, and one of our Facilitators, Ellie Mogg!!

Hi guys! Can you start by telling us what year you are in and what you study here at university?

Sian: Hey, we're both second year Psychology students.

So can you both begin by explaining a little bit of what you do in the committee?

Ellie: Sure, as a Facilitator I work with Jemma to help plan and deliver classroom sessions and crash courses to our volunteers! These involve giving information on different mental health illnesses, advice on teaching the students, and the best part- kahoots!

Sian: I’m the Volunteer Coordinator, which means when the time comes for us to visit schools I’ll be creating the sign up sheets, making sure people have their DBS and safety guard training done, and ensuring all sign up slots are filled so no school misses out!

What do you feel is the most important issue with mental health today?

Sian: Unfortunately I think the levels of anxiety faced amongst our generation are really awful. I see people from primary school to university and beyond battling panic and worries over education, social pressures etc.

Ellie: Also, I think people need to be more aware of this in day to day life. I think everyone should treat each other with a bit more kindness as you never know what struggles people are going through. Anyone can suffer with their mental health- even if they seem to have ‘everything’.

And so what’s your top tip on dealing with issues in mental health? (e.g. calming methods, anti-stress techniques etc)

Sian: I know this is a bit cliché but whenever I feel the panic in me rising I try to take a few slow deep breaths and just remind myself that no matter what’s going on at the moment, time passes and it will get better!

Ellie: For me, I never thought they would work but meditation apps such as Headspace have really helped me with my mental health. Just taking 5 minutes out of the day to not think of anything- just focus on breathing- has really helped me gain perspective in the past if I’ve felt anxious! It almost feels like I've pressed a restart button!

Sian: Also talk to someone you trust!! At the start of 2019 I was in a bad place but opening up to my friends instantly made an important difference. If you feel nervous about talking to friends or family then please get in contact with Open Door or the student group Nightline as they are trained to help you.

So what has been the best part of volunteering with OpenMinds for you?

Ellie: I think one of the most rewarding parts of volunteering is delivering sessions to students in the schools. I think that if I’d had something like this when I was in school it would have helped so many people- especially as it’s just normal people genuinely trying to spread awareness. I think we really give the message that it’s okay not to be okay!

Sian: I love the committee! We all get along well and everybody is so lovely. I also love the feeling you get when you walk out of a classroom knowing that you’ve had a productive session.

What would be your advice to volunteers or anyone wanting to get involved in OpenMinds?

Ellie: I’d say just go for it! You’ll only know if you try, so go to one of the sessions and see how it goes. Even if you feel nervous, all the volunteers and the committee are very welcoming and we’re always here to answer any questions!

Sian: Do it! Yes it looks good on your CV but there’s so many personal reasons for getting involved. It builds your confidence, you meet other passionate people, and it helps you tackle an important issue such as mental health in the classrooms where it is unfortunately most prevalent.

Join our committee today! Applications are open until 9th March!! We would love to hear from you all.