Student Minds receives funding from Charlie Watkins Foundation to support Student Space

We are delighted to announce that we have received a grant of £8,000 from the Charlie Watkins Foundation to support the ongoing development of Student Space. 

Student Space, originally launched in August 2020, was developed to support students through the Coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to a further three years of funding from the Office for Students and Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, we have been able to continue the site and adapt it to support students through the uncertainty of university life with written advice and information, direct support and student stories. 

The Charlie Watkins Foundation was founded in memory of Charlie who was only 22 when he took his life in March 2017. Sadly, Charlie never recovered from the tragic loss of his mother when he was only nine years old. Charlie is one of many young people who have suffered from mental health challenges, and the Charlie Watkins Foundation, which is managed by Essex Community Foundation, aims to raise funds for partners of the Foundation to better support young people who struggle with their mental health and well-being

Tim Watkins, founder of the Charlie Watkins Foundation said: “The Charlie Watkins Foundation is delighted to be supporting Student Minds in this initiative. The development of the Student Space University directory will provide vital support for students whilst continuing our work in "SMASHING THE SIGMA” surrounding mental health issues suffered by many young people today.”

Developed in collaboration with students, service providers and higher education professionals, Student Space currently comprises several support elements including advice and information, student stories and direct support services. The funding provided by Charlie Watkins Foundation will be used towards further developing our university support search tool, allowing us to expand the service even further to include more institutions from across the UK, in particular institutions in Northern Ireland and Scotland,. 

Rosie Tressler, CEO at Student Minds said: “Through Student Space we have reached over 440,000 people to date, providing support for students in need. We welcome the support from the Charlie Watkins Foundation, alongside our other funding partners, to help us continue to ensure that no student is held back by their mental health. It’s clear that despite the end of the pandemic, students are continuing to struggle, with current worries around money, loneliness and exam stress. Together we can ensure that Student Space continues to make support for students even more accessible to those in need”

To date over 75,000 students have accessed our search tool, so we are excited to be able to offer support to even more students who need it. Want to know what support is available at your university? Use our Student Space search tool to find out now. 

We will be updating the directory over the next few months so if your university’s information is not currently available, please direct them to [email protected] and we can support them in adding the information required. 

Do you need or know of someone in need of support? Student Space is here to help you through the challenges of university life.