In the town of Cumnock, in Ayrshire, eight young people took their own lives within a six-month period. Many of them were students of, or had connections to, Ayrshire College.

Determined to tackle the rising levels of mental ill health in the community, Ayrshire College started a campaign called Mental Health United, with the aim of raising awareness of mental health, particularly the benefits that physical activity can have on wellbeing.

In partnership with the Kris Boyd Charity, the college used sport and physical activity to engage the community with its work around mental health and encourage those who were emotionally vulnerable to seek help.  

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Through Mental Health United, the community can access a range of clubs, including an inclusive dance group, a care-experienced club, para football, a weight-loss programme for school-aged children in conjunction with the NHS, an older adult fitness group, and a boys’ and girls’ football school. All activities are free and kit is supplied.

As well as running the clubs, the college released a mental health anthem as a charity single and held a charity walk between its different campuses. All efforts were documented on Twitter, via #PassingPositivity.

Helena Good was lead judge in this category. She said: “Mental Health United was an engaging initiative that used sport and physical activity as a ‘hook’ to engage with the community in a creative and innovative way. This student-led project not only delivered a real-life groundbreaking initiative but made a difference to the college and the wider community.”