Young women painting glassware

Wellbeing events

Courses, workshops and events to help you during your time at university

The Student Wellbeing Service provides a programme of events, workshops and courses to support you while you're at uni.

You can drop in to our Wellbeing Café for friendly company and fun wellbeing activities, or attend the popular annual Feel Good Fest with hands-on activities and taster sessions for feeling good.

When you register with us we will work out a personalised support pathway that may include one or more of our workshops. Or you can just browse our full programme to book directly onto a course or workshop that suits you.

Wellbeing Café

The Wellbeing Café is held every Wednesday, 3pm - 4:30pm from March 6th - May 29th 2024.

(Please note - We will NOT run on 3rd April due to the Easter Break)

The Wellbeing Café is a chance to connect with others in person and take time out to focus on fun and relaxing wellbeing activities with other students that have an interest in investing in their wellbeing. They'll include

  • A wide range of activities to join in with - from crafts such as crochet, to mindfulness exercises and origami
  • Short talks and informal discussions about common concerns such as managing stress and anxiety, or getting a better night’s sleep
  • A range of interactive games
  • Wellbeing Walks to enjoy a stroll outside in fresh air, seeing the city and taking in nature

There will always be a member of staff from the Wellbeing Service there to facilitate and support.

To find out more email wellbeingcafe@port.ac.uk and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

Three students walking down path next to university building

 


 

Workshops, courses and support groups

Our courses and workshops are run in small group sessions (online and in-person) and offer a chance to share and learn from others in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You will not be asked to share personal information but will have the opportunity to develop strategies and implement them in your life.

How to book

Places are limited, so it's essential to book in advance. If there isn't an option to book below, please contact us on +44 (0)23 9284 3466 or wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk.

Upcoming groups and workshops

Our in-person bereavement support group is for students who have experienced the loss of a loved one whether recent or past. We understand that everyone has their own unique experience of grief, and we also know that sharing our stories and getting support from others who have also been bereaved can be really helpful.

We hope by facilitating this group, you can get together in a confidential and safe space to share stories, thoughts and feelings and be in a supportive space where people just 'get it'.

When

The Bereavement support group runs every Tuesday 11.00am - 12.00pm (term-time only).

Where

Chaplaincy Lounge (2nd Floor)
Chaplaincy Centre & Prayer Rooms
St Pauls Road
Portsmouth
PO5 4AQ

Sign up here. If you would like more information or to have an informal chat about this group, email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk and our admin team will connect you with the practitioner running this group.

TransMission is a supportive and relaxed space for transgender, non-binary, gender questioning and gender variant students to socialise together, make new friends and network. This group runs in-person.

When

Second Wednesday of the month, 12.00pm to 1.30pm (term-time only)

Book

Please register your interest here and we will email you with dates, times, and the venue. If you would like more information or to have an informal chat about this group, email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk and our admin team will connect you with the practitioner running this group.

This is a weekly in-person group meeting Wednesdays term-time, 10.00am to 11.00am, in the Chaplaincy lounge. This is on the second floor of the Chaplaincy Centre & Prayer Rooms, St Pauls Road, Southsea, PO5 4AQ. The chaplaincy building has a sign above the entrance. 

How to book

Email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk or ring 023 9284 3466. You will need to register with the Wellbeing Service so you can meet with a practitioner one-to-one and learn more about the group before joining. We look forward to hearing from you!

This is a weekly in-person group meeting Wednesdays term-time, 2.00pm to 3.00pm, in the Chaplaincy lounge. This is on the second floor of the Chaplaincy Centre & Prayer Rooms, St Pauls Road, Southsea, PO5 4AQ. The chaplaincy building has a sign above the entrance. 

How to book

Email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk or ring 023 9284 3466. You will need to register with the Wellbeing Service so you can meet with a practitioner one-to-one and learn more about the group before joining. We look forward to hearing from you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What will happen in this group?

The session content is student-led enabling the group to respond to different needs throughout the year. We know you're busy, so you don't have to come every week but are welcome to. You can choose whether you would like to just sit and listen or join in with the conversation. We will only ask general questions, unless we are clarifying something and there is no expectation for you to answer.

The group is about being able to be yourself and doing what is comfortable for you. 

What sort of things does the group cover?

The group is student-led and topics and their order are decided by the group. Topics can vary but can include skills for:

  • Regulating emotions (including anxiety, low mood and anger)
  • Learning to balance your sensory experiences
  • Building healthy relationships and managing difficult situations
  • Planning and organisation at University
  • Motivation and procrastination
  • Regulating energy levels
How are the sessions structured?

The weekly session structure follows this pattern:

  • Welcome to the session and an outline of the topic that will be covered
  • Feedback about trying out the skills learned in the previous session
  • Introduction to the topic and the new skills
  • A summary of the new skills to be practiced during the week, which you are welcome to try. 
What if I would like to attend the sessions but I find groups difficult?

Many autistic students find it challenging to work in groups and it is something that you can talk about with the wellbeing practitioner. Students attending this group have told us that connecting with other students who understand their experiences has helped them to feel supported and has helped build their confidence.

If you would like more information or to have an informal chat about this group, email wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk and our admin team will connect you with the practitioner running this group.

The surprising way that our minds work and how we can work with them, not against.

Use our online Moodle resource and work through at a time that suits you. This includes an introduction to the concepts of the Compassionate Mind model. Armed with this understanding you will be able to benefit in many areas of your life like building positive relationships (with others as well as yourself), increasing emotional resilience, and feeling more optimistic.

You'll learn

  • The 3-Systems Compassionate Mind model and how it can help make sense of your inner life
  • How developing compassion for yourself and others will improve relationships
  • Breathing exercises and visualisation techniques to help you manage your mind and be your best you
  • To develop your own compassionate mind toolkit
  • The benefits of taking part in the online compassionate mind training sessions

 


 

Student support groups

Would you like to be put in touch with other students with similar circumstances to you?

Sometimes it can really help to know others are facing similar challenges and to share thoughts and coping strategies. But it might be difficult to find them – and that’s where we’d like to help.

Connect with others in the same boat

We bring together small groups of people who would like the opportunity to meet, share and support each other around a particular challenge or concern that they have in common.

Are you:

  • a student who is being affected by bereavement, whether recent or in the past?
  • a student who is the main carer for a family member?
  • a student who commutes to university from a distance, rather than living in Portsmouth?
  • a student who is estranged from their family?

Challenges like these could leave you feeling isolated when others on your course or who you live with don’t understand.

The important thing to realise is that you’re not alone and that maybe you have something to offer others who feel the same as you. For example, the students who attended our bereavement group said that it was really valuable to meet people with similar experiences and have that group support.

Find a support group

If this is something you think you’d like us to develop and provide, why not get in touch and tell us and we’ll see what we can do to help find others who feel like you. Contact us at wellbeing@port.ac.uk and put ‘It’s not just me’ in the subject line.

 


 

Feel Good Fest - 15 May 2024

Every year students, staff, local artists and organisations gather at the University of Portsmouth Feel Good Fest – our free annual celebration of the things that help us feel good.

You can just drop in, but leave yourself enough time to join in with all the fun and relaxing activities including a variety of crafts, performances and entertainment from student societies, free food tasting, hand or shoulder massages, activity taster sessions, giveaways and raffles.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more info and to stay up to date.

 


 

Contact the Student Wellbeing Service

Access mental health support and guidance from our friendly team of wellbeing advisers, counsellors and advisers:

Register for help >

Or you can contact us via:

You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook.

Worried about a student? Whether you're a friend, member of University staff, family member or medical professional you can raise a concern so our service can help.