Students from the Care & Early Years and Health and Social Care departments at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group took part in a fundraiser event for mental health charity, YoungMinds – with their efforts raising more than £500 for the cause.
YoungMinds is the UK’s leading mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.
As part of this, the nursery children made a donation to take part in the activity-led day, which included seasonal-themed crafts, music and food.
The event was part of a wider fundraiser across the whole department, including students at both Castleford College and Wakefield College, with a collective total of £525 raised.
Rosey Hampshire, Lecturer in Care & Early Years at Selby College, said: “With the rise in the use of mental health support services for young people, the students wanted to do something to help support the cause, whilst creating a fun-filled day for the children at Bright Start Nursery. The students planned a variety of hands-on activities designed to spark creativity and imagination, such as making prints with apples, finger painting and play dough making and crafting animals.”
Carla Cantrell, Head of Care & Early Years at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said:
"Hosting an event for local nursery children meant that the students had to think outside the box to deliver activities which would appeal to these children, all whilst raising money for a great cause. We do a range of activities like these internally to provide our learners with a well-rounded experience which enriches their learning and personal development. We further build on this through external visits, trips and guest talks, ensuring that our learners are aware of the potential careers available in the care and early years sectors.”
This comes after the College recently expanded its next-generation healthcare training centre, which simulates a hospital ward and a community care environment.
As part of the York & North Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan, the College received funding to invest in new cutting-edge equipment and deliver innovative training, as well as design new courses in healthcare.
Students are able to practice on realistic manikins, including a manikin which simulates both prenatal and postnatal birthing scenarios and newborn simulators which replicate a range of symptoms.
Find out more about the Care & Early Years departments and the range of courses they offer, at: