September

2010
For
immediate release

Wealth of knowledge for wellbeing link-up

Leeds Metropolitan University has teamed up with Mental Wealth UK to enhance services
for students and develop the university’s award-winning wellbeing programme. The
collaboration will see invaluable student input to Leeds Metropolitan’s health and wellbeing
programmes and a pooling of knowledge, information and resources between Mental Wealth
UK and the university.

Mental Wealth UK is the leading not for profit organisation for student mental health and
wellbeing promotion which aims to promote positive wellbeing, reduce distress amongst
students and tackle discrimination. Mental Wealth UK’s project team will be hosted at Leeds
Metropolitan and the team will have an important input into health and wellbeing at the
university.

Jo Johnson, Associate President Community and Wellbeing at Leeds Metropolitan

University’s Students’ Union, said: “The collaboration with Mental Wealth UK will open up
many fantastic opportunities for students. This could be anything from setting up a mental
health forum to educate, raise awareness and tackle stigma to forming peer support groups
for students with mental health issues to support and be supported by fellow students in
addition to other support and help that is available to them."

John Hamilton, Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Leeds Metropolitan added:
“The Mental Wealth team's pioneering approach will add real value to the Leeds Met
wellbeing programme, helping us further develop the range of mental health
support available for students and staff.”

Edward Pinkney of Mental Wealth UK said: "We are delighted to be working with an
organisation of Leeds Metropolitan's calibre to continue the aims of the Mental Wealth
project. The University's dynamic and innovative approach speaks for itself, and this
partnership shows Leeds Metropolitan's intent to establish itself, and the city of Leeds, as
the UK's capital for wellbeing.”

Leeds Metropolitan’s wellbeing programme has been praised for its innovative approach to
health and wellbeing at work and has been short-listed for a string of awards including the
health, work and wellbeing category of the National Business Awards.

Ends

For further details please contact Helen Goodwin in the News and Media team at Leeds Met
on 0113 812 5935 or email h.g.goodwin@leedsmet.ac.uk

Notes for editors

Leeds Metropolitan -

 Leeds Metropolitan University has 30,000 students and over 300,000 associate
students through its partnerships with 24 colleges.
 The University has achieved its best ever Research Assessment Exercise results.
Sports-Related Studies is in the top 6 institutions in the country with research rated at
the highest levels of 4* and 3*.
 The University’s award-winning learning environments include the iconic Rose Bowl
building, awarded Best Commercial Property Development in the 2009 Yorkshire
Property Awards; Broadcasting Place, winner of the 2010 Leeds Architecture Awards
New Building category and the pioneering Carnegie Village student accommodation.
 Leeds Metropolitan is one of only a handful of UK universities to have been awarded
the Carbon Trust Standard.

Mental Wealth UK -

 The Mental Wealth Project was launched in 2009 by students at the University of
Leeds after successfully launching a student mental health & wellbeing society, with
the aim of establishing student-led initiatives in universities around the UK. After
receiving widespread support from universities around the UK, and backing at this
year's NUS conference, the project launched Mental Wealth UK to act as a hub for
student-led initiatives, and to continue to drive the campus wellbeing agenda. The
organisation's mission is open minds, create understanding and connect young
people with the resources they need to thrive. Mental Wealth UK is supported by
several charities including Unltd, the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, and PAPYRUS.