Leading charity, Student Minds, has given Newcastle its University Mental Health Charter Award (UMHC), following a rigorous application process.

The award is an accreditation scheme designed to recognise good practice and support ongoing development in the area of mental health and wellbeing.

Supporting students and colleagues to thrive

Sally Ingram, Director of Health and Wellbeing Services at Newcastle University, said: “This award is wonderful recognition of our whole-university approach to student and colleague mental health and wellbeing and reflects years of dedication, collaboration and hard work from colleagues and students.

“It would not have been possible without the support of so many people. From those who led our workstreams and contributed evidence to the students and colleagues who generously shared their experiences, everyone played a role in helping us achieve this.

“We see this as an important step in our ongoing work, not a conclusion. We remain committed to building on this progress and continuing to foster a university community where everyone feels supported, valued and able to flourish.”

The UMHC was created by thousands of staff and students to shape a future in which everyone in higher education can thrive.

It provides a set of evidence-informed principles to support universities to adopt a widescale approach to mental health and wellbeing.

A whole-university approach must include both adequately resourced, effective and accessible mental health services and proactive interventions to support good mental health and wellbeing.

Evidence-based approach recognised

An important area highlighted during the assessment was Nurture-U, a collaborative initiative involving Newcastle University that aims to advance understanding of student mental health and develop evidence-based, scalable approaches to supporting wellbeing across the higher education sector.

Drawing on students’ experiences, the project seeks to inform and improve wellbeing services and shape examples of good practice that can be adopted more widely. Central to this work is the participation of students themselves.

As part of the programme, Nurture-U conducts a survey twice each year to build a deeper understanding of student mental health and wellbeing, as well as trialling mental health literacy education in the curriculum.

The survey reached more than 11,000 students nationally and over 1,200 students at Newcastle University had access to mental health literacy training, helping to generate valuable insights that support ongoing improvements in student support.

In its Outcome Report for Newcastle University, Student Minds stated: “The Panel recognised a number of areas of strong practice across the University and was particularly impressed by the University’s contribution to the Nurture-U project.

“The Panel considered this an excellent example of practice, demonstrating a thoughtful and research-informed approach to supporting student mental health, and felt there could be valuable learning for the wider sector from the University's experience.

“The Panel encourages the University to continue building on their strong foundation, particularly by allowing newer initiatives time to become embedded and by continuing to develop evidence of their impact and effectiveness.”

The award also recognised Newcastle University’s commitment to colleague wellbeing, with assessors highlighting a range of positive initiatives. These included the University’s network of wellbeing ambassadors, mental health first aiders, grief support volunteers and wellbeing walk leaders, all of which help foster a culture of care and support across the institution.

Assessors also praised the strong awareness and engagement with wellbeing initiatives among staff, alongside flexible working arrangements and dedicated health and wellbeing services. Together, these demonstrate the University’s approach to helping colleagues feel supported and connected.