SIXTH form students made a very colourful mark on their common room as part of a Wellbeing Week.
One of the room’s walls now has a brightly coloured rainbow made up of handprints from almost all of the 250 students who attend Haslingden Sixth Form.
Sixth Form Management Team members Rebecca Ormerod and Charlotte Clements, both 17 and in Year 13, organised the week’s events.
Charlotte said: “All the students loved it. When we were in High School, we had a mental health week and so I wanted to recreate it for Sixth Form.”
Rebecca said: “We contacted a local business, Relish, and they provided a breakfast buffet and we invited all the Sixth Formers to come along.
“Usually, you only have a few people in the common room at the same time because everyone is in different lessons, but the breakfast gave everyone a reason to come in early at the same time so they stopped and chatted.”
The students have an email network and they forwarded information on mental health charities that are available if anyone needs someone to talk to.
A bake sale was also held and the £77.21 was donated to: Mind, The Mental Health Foundation, Young Minds, Stem 4 and Place2Be.
Charlotte said: “When we started painting the rainbow, we didn’t know what the reaction of students would be and if they would get involved but everyone seemed really excited and a lot were saying that when they finish school there would still be a part of them on the wall.”
Rebecca said: “A lot of people said it was dull before in the common room, but the rainbow had made it a more relaxed environment.
“When people saw the rainbow being painted, they asked if they could add their handprints and we still hear people coming into the room and pointing out their handprints and they know it is theirs.”
They also liaised with the family of student Rachel Collins, who sadly took her own life in October 2019, and with their blessing created a memorial to her which is visible from the common room.
Charlotte said: “We spoke with Rachel’s father Sean and asked his permission to put a memorial to Rachel. We have fencing visible from the common room and we have placed ribbons and a plaque on it in memory of Rachel. Sean came along to the ceremony.”