Mental Health Centre Stage at the #HEFestival

'Sir Anthony Seldon is a forward thinking compassionate man, in touch with peoples' hearts, who brings vital change through his courage to lead by example. By openly discussing and highlighting the issues surrounding Mental Illness at the Higher Education Festival held at Buckingham University last week, I felt he was willing to even blow the bloody doors off! which is so needed.  Through key conversations, all were called to LISTEN and to now take action.'   - Karen Kestrel, *equipoise.guru  

 Sir Anthony Seldon is  a gentle force for good. He invited James Murray and Nancy Tucker to a talk at the inaugural HE Festival - he bought key people together, to work together, in solving our Mental Health crisis. We owe a debt of gratitude to this trail blazer as he leads with his heart, while his head calculates the positive ripples it will create to bring about positive changes.

 'A true master of kindness, a real game-changer!'

Ben Murray's father, James, stood on stage at the HE Festival last week, and told a marquee packed with heads of Universities that his 19 year old son had committed suicide just 4 weeks ago. He bravely found an inner strength to deliver the facts without blame - his mission, to get the gathered University Heads and Ministers to understand the real problems that students are facing today.  Being communicated with via email over a serious matter, rather than having the time taken for a face to face chat, as we heard had happened to Ben, struck me as not only inhuman, but amplifies that we are dealing with a huge problem of disconnect.

James Murray is focused now, on implementing change in the care of students at University - to make a difference and ensure that youngsters don't suffer the same fate as his beautiful son Ben. Suicides have to be addressed, understood and learned from finally - its thirty years on from when I first became acutely aware of Mental health problems and our young students are still feeling helpless and are taking their lives. #thishastostop.   

Sir Anthony Seldon, vice Chancellor Of Buckingham University - a serious game-changer and forward-thinker who bought Mindfulness classes to Wellington College for students, teachers and parents alike, and among his many political and historical books, he has written a book - Beyond Happiness. 

With compassion he bought together James Murray with the young 18 year old author Nancy Tucker on stage to highlight the desperate plight we are facing with Mental Health Illness today. Nancy followed James' positive, powerful and hopeful message. Her beautifully spoken voice cut through the delegates there and we heard the voice of a young person who had faced overwhelm and confusion. In her second book, 'And That’s When They Started to Worry' she interviews many other young girls facing similar Mental Illness to try and make this issue understood and real - it is all around us sadly. She had found her voice and is now determined to help others.

Sadly, Ben's voice was never heard. His parents are keen that his voice can be heard through his legacy of bringing about positive change to safeguard students now and in the future.

It's ironical that so much was debated, at the #HEFestival, about how can things be made  better - I heard a lot of long words, yet an overriding capping of the heart - with the matter of money, funding and policy seeming to take the balance of concern. And there it is again, haven't they missed the crucial point?  Because it is at the heart of the matter for sure - the heart - 'we have to stop thinking only about minds, hearts are at the centre of people'. Young people need mentoring and to be given the tools that they can put in place to become self-assured, resilient and know who they can turn to if somethings troubling them. To own their own uniqueness and to find their place in society - is that too much to ask of a compassionate society? Our Universities need to unite as they have been called to action by a father suffering a dear loss and a daughter who has found her way to cope and survive who can go on to live a happy life . Valuable lessons are right here to make change happen.

So with Sir Anthony Seldon's unique combination of courage, pin-sharp intellect and compassion in taking on these Mental Illness issues brings me hope. He'd opened the talk by asking for a show of hands as to who had been personally affected by Mental Health - over half the hands were in the air, including mine. It IS time for change.  I ask the Minister and University heads to listen with their hearts and follow through with changes to safeguard our students now - James Murray will be key in instigating these changes .  University should be a place for students to expand not only their minds but their hearts, for the mind alone can wreak havoc and bring tragedy sadly.

I didn't have a voice, a real voice, a self-assured heart centered voice, until only a few years ago. I would like to thank all the inspirational mentors who sparked the confidence in me to be able to follow my passion and find my purpose.

Mental health needs to be addressed - openly and from heart. 

#HEFestival