People are at the heart of everything we do. That's why supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our community is a priority for the School of GeoSciences. In the School of GeoSciences, we know how important it is to look after our community. Mental health affects us all, and creating a supportive environment where colleagues and students feel able to ask for help, support one another and have open conversations doesn’t happen by accident – it’s something we have to actively invest in. Over the past three years, the School’s partnership with mental health trainer Chris Grant has been a key part of that commitment, giving colleagues across the School the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to support one another, our students and the wider community. Through the programme, colleagues have taken part in a range of training courses, including Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Groupwork & Facilitation Skills, and a new What’s Next? follow-up course for previously certified Mental Health First Aiders. The Schools' mental health training programme has had a direct positive impact on our staff and student community. It's raised awareness of mental health across our community, given people greater confidence to discuss mental health and have supportive conversations, and helped to ensure that those who need support are connected with the right help. Chris Bevan Director of Professional Services, School of GeoSciences The real impact The real impact is found in the stories people have shared with us. One colleague told us the training gave them "the confidence (and permission) to act" when they noticed someone becoming unusually withdrawn – a conversation they may never have started before. Another described using what they had learned to support a family member experiencing ongoing mental health challenges, helping them take the first steps towards professional support. It was especially encouraging to hear from colleagues who had already completed the Mental Health First Aid training and have been putting those skills into practice, supporting students, colleagues and loved ones when it mattered most. Chris Grant and participants from Scotland's Mental Health First Aid course | March 2026 The thing that keeps surprising me, year after year, is the people who turn up to these workshops. I am endlessly impressed by their willingness to be open, to learn, to sit with difficult conversations, and to take the work seriously. And then there are the actions I hear about afterwards – the conversations people have with a colleague, student or family member because of something they learned in a room with me. That's the real evidence this work is worth doing. Chris Grant Mental Health First Aid Trainer Expanding support across our community What began as an initiative to support the mental health and wellbeing of the GeoSciences community has grown into something much bigger. As the value of the training became clear, the programme expanded to reach colleagues across the wider University, and through new public courses, members of the local community too. Since 2023, the partnership has delivered 25 courses, trained 316 participants and supported 227 people to become certified Mental Health First Aiders. Over the past year alone, 72 participants from across our School, the wider University and local community have taken part in the programme, helping to extend the reach of mental health awareness, skills and support beyond the School of GeoSciences. Continuing the commitment We're incredibly proud of what this partnership has achieved, and we're excited to keep building on it with an expanded programme already confirmed for 2026–27. What started as a series of training courses has become something much bigger. Together, we're building a community where people feel confident checking in with one another, ready to have difficult conversations, and willing to take the small actions that can make a real difference. More informationRead the 2025/2026 'University of Edinburgh: School of GeoSciences' reportView the 2026/27 programmeView Chris Grant's website This article was published on Friday 24 July 2026
