The students using their struggles to help others

From trauma and anxiety to gambling issues and addiction, student volunteers are turning their own struggles into support for others.

University of Wolverhampton graduate Rachel Lee knows what it feels like to not belong. Before the age of 15 she had lived in more than a dozen different homes.

"I experienced a great deal of instability growing up," she said. "I have navigated trauma, anxiety and depression as well as discovering and learning to understand myself as a neurodivergent person with autism, ADHD and dyslexia."

Now aged 38, she is using those experiences to help other students who may be struggling in silence.

Lee, who recently graduated with first-class honours in psychology and is now studying film and TV production, is a "wellbeing champion" at the University of Wolverhampton where she helps fellow students access support, raises awareness of mental health and works on campaigns and events.

She said her experiences had given her "a real understanding of what it can feel like to be overwhelmed, different, misunderstood or simply to feel as though you don't quite belong".

"They have also taught me just how powerful it can when somebody takes the time to listen without judgement and makes you feel genuinely seen," she added.

She is particularly passionate about ensuring neurodivergent students feel included.

"I think lived experience can give you a different kind of empathy," she said.

For Paul Freeman, a senior wellbeing champion, it was his experience of a gambling problem that prompted him to help others.

The 43-year-old, who lives in Dudley, is a second-year psychology student.

"I know first-hand how important support is when you are struggling," he said. "Having gained that lived experience I now like to use it to make sure that the support is there for everyone else."

Freeman first joined the team as a volunteer during his first year. He has since become a senior wellbeing champion, a paid part-time role helping to coordinate the group.

The most important part of the role, Freeman said, was making sure students knew support was available and that they should not be afraid to ask for help.

The University of Wolverhampton is not alone in taking this approach. The University of Worcester also runs a student wellbeing champions scheme in which students promote support services.

Professor Sally Moyle, Worcester's deputy vice-chancellor, said the university's champions helped to create an "inclusive community".

She said their "greatest impact is helping fellow students feel supported, connected and able to succeed".

For Lee, small gestures can matter just as much as organised campaigns.

"You never truly know what somebody else is carrying," she said. "Sometimes a conversation, an inclusive space, being listened to or even one small act of kindness can make far more difference than we realise."

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