Our passionate and dedicated wellbeing team have been further empowered to provide vital mental health support to students. For a second consecutive year, 2023 saw retired Royal Holloway Zoologist, Dr Graham Twigg, fund ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) delivered by PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

This two-day, skills building workshop covered the most widely used suicide prevention model in the world and equipped colleagues with the knowledge needed to provide suicide first aid interventions.

Twenty colleagues are now Suicide First Aiders and have been taught to recognise when someone may have thoughts of suicide and how to work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety whilst developing longer term support plans and interventions as needed. A further thirty colleagues will receive training in Spring 2024. 

Helen Groenendaal, Head of Wellbeing, commented: ‘Unsurprisingly the content of ASIST is challenging and emotive but it has been incredibly rewarding for each of us to achieve certification as Suicide First Aiders and develop further confidence in this important aspect of mental health and wellbeing support for our students. Studies have shown that the ASIST framework helps reduce suicidal feelings in those at risk and helps to address the complex problem of suicide. The training will allow us to further embed our suicide prevention strategies into everyday student life and wellbeing support.’

We are grateful to Dr Twigg for his continued support and to other members of the Royal Holloway community who have facilitated positive change through their generosity and commitment over the past year.