Students from The Manchester College support YMCA with critical social media campaign

Six students from The Manchester College have been working with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) to help the organisation develop social media content around mental health.

With the help of Ashlea Sands, the College’s Enrichment Coordinator based at City Campus Manchester, the students, who are studying a range of courses, formed a Mental Health Champions Group and met monthly with Michael Cornielle, Peer Education Co-ordinator at YMCA Manchester.

Ashlea explained: “We are continuing to grow and develop the enrichment offer so that students have the opportunity to develop their wider skills and get the most out of their time with us.

For me, enrichment is all about developing positive, meaningful connections with the local community and that’s why I initially reached out to the YMCA.  As time went on and our relationship developed, these conversations led to six of our students becoming involved in this worthwhile project.

Ashlea continued: “During our meetings with Michael our students discussed, explored, and identified issues young people may be facing at the moment which could impact their mental health, such as the future and making plans after college, keeping new year’s resolutions and the impact of bullying.

“Our students then co-produced a social media plan with Michael and got the chance to support with direct content creation.”

The content that our students helped to create has featured on the YMCA Manchester’s social media channels, with more to come from the partnership.

Laraib Shehzad, one of the students involved in the project, said: “I have found the Mental Health Champions Group so engaging as I know I can express my true words out there.”

Michael Corneille, Peer Education Coordinator at YMCA Manchester, said:

The students from The Manchester College have offered firsthand advice and suggestions on mental health topics affecting their peers. Acting as a steering group, they provided valuable insights into the mental health challenges young people face. 

“These insights have enabled YMCA Manchester to break down the topics and create targeted social media posts aimed at reaching young people experiencing similar mental health challenges and reducing the stigma associated with discussing mental health topics.”

The project will be continuing in the 2024/25 academic year and any students wishing to take part can contact Ashlea or the Enrichment Coordinator at their campus.

For more information about enrichment activities at The Manchester College, visit the ‘Student Life’ section of our website.