Watch: St Mary's College in Derry cut the ribbon to formally open their Wellbeing Hub

The official opening of the Wellbeing Hub took place on Wednesday with Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Mental Health Champion NI, in attendance as a guest speaker alongside the Mayor and local political and education representatives and invited guests from local charities.

The new hub aims to promote positive wellbeing through the delivery of a wellbeing curriculum, and by normalising student education in psychological fitness and resilience. The initiative is aimed specifically at Year 13 and 14 students.

The Wellbeing Lead for the Hub, Ms. Emma McCartney, said that she was very privileged to take on the role and had thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the senior pupils at St Mary’s College, whose contributions over the course of the year had shaped the themes and types of delivery of the wellbeing curriculum.

The Principal of St Mary’s College, Brendan McGinn, was delighted at how the Wellbeing Lead and the Wellbeing Hub had become important parts of the school life. He said this initiative was part of the school’s overall strategy to provide quality support in wellbeing and mental health to the pupils at the school. He also commended the senior pupils for both embracing and involving themselves actively in the Wellbeing Hub and hoped to see it grow from strength to strength.

Special mention was reserved for the ‘mdeducational foundation’, who have committed to funding the placement of a Wellbeing Lead for three years. A strong partnership has developed over the year with the foundation and the school community said they have enjoyed working closely with Deirdre Doherty, Director of Schools & Partnerships and Catherine Llewellyn, Clinical Supervisor.

The work, the school said, has been extremely beneficial to the students coupled with the support and quality of resources within the curriculum.

St Mary’s staff said the launch was both a celebration and acknowledgement of the work that had been completed since September 2023 in collaboration with mdeducational foundation, and guests present were entertained by instrumental and choral music from the school’s Music Department.