Student Minds wins national award for excellence from GSK and The King’s Fund

Student Minds has beaten more than 400 organisations from all over the UK to be one of the 10 winners of the 2017 GSK IMPACT Awards, a national award that recognises excellence in charities improving health and wellbeing in their communities. We will receive £30,000 in funding as part of its prize, as well as expert support and development from The King’s Fund.

The academic, financial and social pressures faced by students has led to growing concerns over the state of student mental health. An estimated three-quarters of lifetime mental illness begins by the time people are in their mid-twenties, making it particularly important that young people receive the care and support they need. 

Katie Pinnock, Director of UK and Ireland Charitable Partnerships at GSK, said:
"Student Minds is a small charity having a big impact on the promotion of good mental health in universities.
 
Through its dynamic campaigns and support for volunteers, Student Minds has been really successful in raising awareness of mental health issues and equipping students with the tools they need to look after their own mental health. Student Minds is an outstanding charity that’s achieved a lot in a relatively short amount of time, making it a worthy winner of a GSK IMPACT Award."
 
Rosie Tressler, Chief Executive of Student Minds, said:
"While around a third of students may experience mental health difficulties at university, all members of the university community can benefit from building health literacy and coping skills to manage the ups and downs of life. Student Minds was founded to encourage students to talk about mental health and promote the idea that recovery is possible. Complementary to formal mental health services, other means of care such as peer support can be an opportunity for early intervention and can help individuals to sustain positive changes in their lives.
 
We’re thrilled to receive this GSK IMPACT Award, which recognises the importance of our work and the fantastic contribution made by our volunteers. The award will help us develop as an organisation and continue delivering support for students in the future."
Celebrating the award with us? Tweet using the hashtag #GSKIMPACTUK and tell us why you’re proud about our ongoing work to change the state of student mental health. You can find out more about Student Mind’s year in our Annual Report 2015/16