Celebrating Five Years of Student Life!

February marks Student Life’s fifth birthday, giving the team the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past five years – from where they began, to where they are now.

There are various reasons behind how and why Student Life has grown into the organisation it is today. Many thanks are owed to founder Richard Stewart who first had the idea in 2017 to approach the University of Suffolk where he met Rachel Mitchell, the Students’ Union President at the time.

‘If [Rachel] had not agreed to meet me to discuss my ideas, then Student Life would probably not have been born at all’ – Richard Stewart, CEO

After a successful meeting, Student Life began to take shape as its own segment with a few pages in Waterfront Life magazine. Since then, it has grown to become its own standalone publication which was rebranded in 2021 as My Life. The magazine has seen huge growth from its first conception, expanding from 12 to 96 pages, and from six core topic areas to fifteen.

‘Student Life presented students with the opportunity to voice their experiences, create peer to peer content, and be published for doing so’ – Rachel Mitchell, Fundraising and Communications Director

The success of the magazine has allowed Student Life to become far more than the publication. In 2018, the team expanded by employing Louise Richardson to help spread the project into high schools. Starting out in a handful of schools, today Student Life is delivering workshops and engaging with over fifty institutions. By expanding into Norfolk and Kent, Student Life has ensured that its name is well recognised by young people as well as national and international organisations. With plans to roll out in Essex and into London, it’s no wonder that Student Life has won and continues to be nominated for many awards, and are proud to be finalists in six categories for the national Inside Out Awards 2022.

In 2022, Student Life comprises nine team members, tens of volunteers, and thousands of signed-up young people. Today, young people can undertake opportunities in filming, business development, events and fundraising, social media, mental health ambassadors, and wider mental health projects.

Student Life’s projects include mental health awareness training, film production and expansion into supporting people classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). This expansion ensures that Student Life is as inclusive as possible when it comes to offering opportunities to as many people as possible, regardless of their background. Student Life’s bespoke Mental Health and Wellbeing Training supports the up-skilling of young people in Mental Health Awareness and enables them to support both themselves and their peers with wellbeing. The development of the six-session training course has been driven by the experiences of young people, alongside the expertise of the trainers.

‘Being a charity that supports and promotes mental health means that the team really has to help reduce stigma and discrimination – this is at the forefront of everything that we do and helps us to be genuine and open when promoting this message to the young people we collaborate with’ – Richard Stewart, CEO

Student Life in 2022 may look very different from 2017, but its core values remain the same – to upskill young people and reduce the stigma behind mental ill-health. The last five years have seen rapid growth and success, and the next five years are certain to see more change and expansion.

To find out more visit the Student Life website