In 2019, 174 students in UK universities lost their lives by suicide. With the onset of the pandemic, that number is expected to be significantly higher in 2020/21. I am a student at the University of Bristol and I have seen first-hand the lack of mental health support available to people who are struggling. We are told that there is "not enough money to improve services", "the support the university offers is good enough", and "things will be done in the future". But we have all seen that things are not good enough, and the University of Bristol needs to make a change. Right now.

The reasons behind suicide are highly complex, are often multi-factorial, and can be difficult to understand. Someone who is thinking of taking their own life needs to know what support the university offers and how to access it, the support needs to be readily available, the student shouldn't have to wait more than one week to access support, and it should provide the person with not only immediate care but with the information and tools for future referrals and help should they need it.

The aims of this petition are to communicate to the chancellor and vice-chancellor of the university that student mental health is one of the most critical things the institution must tackle today. Additionally, on gaining at least 1000 signatures for this petition, I will write a letter to the chancellor, vice-chancellor, and other members of the university leadership team proposing the following improvements to mental health services, and I will continue to contact them until something is done.

1. Reestablish senior residents in university halls and accommodation and provide mental health first aid training to each SR

2. Provide mandatory mental health training to all departmental student tutors

3. Provide training to freshers in halls from a counsellor/mental health professional to give them the tools to spot warning signs in themselves and their friends

4. Increase the capacity and size of the student counselling service; employ an additional 10 counsellors within two years (these can be online if additional space is not available). A referral to a counsellor should take no longer than one week

5. Ensure that each student who is undergoing counselling has access to at least 6 sessions (students currently have to re-book each time they want an appointment, which can often be stressful for someone in a crisis), and provide them with information about how to access counselling from external services and charities once these sessions have stopped

6. Counselling sessions should be able to be booked online without the need to make a phone call

Please sign and share this petition today. With your help, we can make a change at the University of Bristol for the better. Mental health matters to all of us.