HUNDREDS of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students took the chance to increase their levels of positive mental wellbeing during the college’s recent Health and Wellbeing Week initiative.

The objective was to address a variety of health and well-being related issues which students face while at college.

The college group is keen to improve and maintain the health of all students and staff and to provide a healthy and stress-free environment, especially under the current circumstances.

As part of the initiative, college library staff put together several displays and promoted a wide range of self-help books recommended by the reading agency to encourage positive mental health.

They also promoted the fact to students that there is always help out there, by signposting a wide range of information on organisations such as the Samaritans and MIND.

Taking pride of place was library staff member Gina Maddison’s book, ‘Ward Nine Coronavirus – One Woman’s Story’.

Gina contracted COVID-19 at the beginning of the first wave in spring 2020 and was hospitalised for weeks.

While bed-ridden, she decided to write a ‘love letter’ to the NHS. Her collection of notes was then turned into a book, which was later nominated for ‘Wales Book of the Year’.

Her book was highlighted, as reading about the personal experiences of others has been proven to be a massive help with people’s mental health.

The book has been described as “positive, illuminating and therapeutic”.

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Library & Learning Technology Service was also recently awarded joint-second place at the annual ‘Welsh Library Team of the Year’ awards ceremony.

The awards are made by CILIP Cymru (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) and are sponsored by the Welsh Government.