Have you spotted the elephant in the library?

Those of you who have been revising in the library and seen the elephant and the “#eitr” posters may be slightly confused.

These posters are part of a campaign run by UEA Student Minds (formerly known as Mental Wealth), a campus-based, charitable organisation, aimed at combating the stigma surrounding mental health issues at university. It is part of the wider UK student mental health charity, Student Minds, which aims to deliver research-driven training to support and equip students to bring about positive change on their campuses.

SPOTTED: Edgar revising for his next exam

UEA Student Minds are holding a large-scale fundraising event to encourage people to get talking about mental health issues in connection with Mental Health Awareness Week this week.

The event is running today (Thursday May 22^nd) in the Hive where there will be surprises lined up (and throughout the week!) as well as stalls to have a wander round.

The committee of Student Minds UEA have said: “By holding this event, we hope as ever to get students talking about mental health issues, and signpost those who might need it to the appropriate help before term ends for the summer break.”

Edgar with one of the posters you may have seen during your revision sessions

Edgar the Elephant will also be around, roaming the Square. He represents the idea of an “elephant in the room” (which is what #eitr stands for), referring to the way in which mental health issues are often treated as a taboo topic, hence the slogan “We don’t talk about it! Shhhhh…”

Edgar even has his own Twitter where he tweets updates on the campaign, so get following!

Edgar the Elephant enjoying a revision break

Operation Beautiful UEA has also decided to raise awareness for Mental Health Awareness Week. The admins of its Facebook account have been asking people to share their personal stories related to mental health so the page can publish them anonymously.

For more information regarding the work Student Minds does on campus or the work the charity does on a wider scale, check our their Facebook page  and website.