University of Northampton students make profound video to help people improve their mental health

A group of students from the University of Northampton have made a moving video, which aims to help people improve their mental health by reaching out and getting outside.

The students, studying a volunteering module on the Social and Community Development degree, and a number of Joint Honours degrees started a fundraising project to encourage people to undertake exercise. They called their project S.E.E.D March – which stands for Some Exercise Every Day in March.

One of the students involved is Teri Eger, a singer-songwriter from the Czech Republic. Teri explained: “As a group, we committed to do some exercise every day during the month of March.  January to March is the time of year when people can find that mental health challenges return, and exercise can be one of the things that improves their mental health.

“We started to think about how we can raise awareness about the importance of mental health, and my group was inspired by the Northampton and District branch of charity Mind – an organisation that makes such a difference in people’s lives by helping them to cope with their mental health challenges. The charity helps people feel a part of the community again, and supports people so they know they are not alone.”

Teri was inspired to write a song called ‘Into Your Mind’, and the group then worked together to make a video to accompany it. The result is a powerful, black and white short film. Teri explained: “The video tells the story of the girl from my song. She looks happy on the outside, but there are things she’s not showing; as the film progresses she meets other people and gets outside.

“A week after I wrote it, we filmed the video around the campus. Everyone had great ideas about the scenes and Lisa Kainth took the main role of the actress that you can see in the final video. “

Mark Allenby, Programme Lead for Social and Community Development, is very proud of his students. He explained: “A big part of the students’ volunteering module involves working in partnership with local organisations; by working together, the students help to improve society by working with others to make a difference.

“I can honestly say, it is one of the best pieces I have seen in my time as programme lead.”

Teri found the process equally fulfilling. “It an amazing experience for us – we loved working on this project, gaining new skills and finding our way into fundraising. We also hope to help first-year students in the next academic year to make it happen again and share what we have learned along the way. We hope that S.E.E.D raises awareness about how important mental health is and thought this way we will be able to raise money and support MIND that is hope for so many people out there with mental health problems.”

This programme focuses on the context within which social problems arise and includes in-depth examination of social issues, the ways in which these issues are addressed and will equip students with key skills for working in the sectors related to community development, social care and social entrepreneurship.

The programme investigates provision in areas such as community development, social care child protection and mental health and also offers opportunities to gain valuable experience in a range of settings, with volunteering and housing being integral parts of the programme, with an optional placement module.