Edinburgh College gives Black Dog a home to help raise mental health awareness
Edinburgh College is supporting mental health charity SANE’s nationwide Black Dog Campaign, to help encourage positive discussions about mental health.
The college is providing a home for the black dog Angus, to help reduce the stigma around depression and other mental illness, and support staff and students to find help.
During his time at the college from now until July, Angus will visit each of the four campuses to allow students from across Edinburgh and the Lothians to engage with the campaign. He has started his journey at the college’s Granton Campus, where he was unveiled by principal Annette Bruton (above, left).
SANE’s Black Dog Campaign aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and encourages people to seek help early, rather than suffering in silence. To bring the campaign to life, statues like Angus have been placed in locations across the country. Students and staff at the college are being encouraged to take part in the campaign by taking selfies with Angus to share on social media with the hashtag #BlackDogEC and to share their own stories of mental illness and recovery.
Majorie Wallace, chief executive of SANE, said: “We are delighted that Edinburgh College has adopted Angus, and pleased to see that the Black Dog Campaign is gathering pace in Scotland.
“We hope that Angus will help the students of Edinburgh College to develop the confidence to talk more openly about their mental health and seek help more easily. We look forward to working them in developing their campaign over the coming months.”
Susan Inglis, Edinburgh College equalities, policy and research manager, said: “We are excited to be hosting SANE’s Black Dog campaign. We understand that balancing college life with other external pressures can be difficult for our students and staff, and that some may think that they have to suffer in silence. I hope that Angus will provide the talking point our staff and students need to engage with each other about mental health, and lead to positive outcomes.”
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