Forth Valley College’s Learning Resource Centres have secured a slice of a £33,000 funding pot to support the delivery of creative workshops for students to aid positive mental health and promote social inclusion.
The funding award comes from the Innovation and Development Fund (IDF), which is administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and is open to libraries at further and higher education institutions and specialist libraries. The IDF is designed to support creative service development and experimental approaches to delivery.
The College’s Learning Resource Centres received £1,200 to deliver a mental health project, ‘Crafting to new confidence and positive mental health’. Creative workshops such as Lego therapy, mini craft sessions, and zines will be delivered within all three Learning Resource Centres to encourage students to use the centres as a space where they can study, socialise and interact with other learners. The workshops will encourage more students to access the centres and engage with the resources available.
Four projects across Scotland received IDF awards from a total of 14 submissions.
Pamela Tulloch, chief executive, SLIC said:
“The IDF is one of our key funding initiatives, designed to offer libraries support to try new ways of working and new services.
“The project at Forth Valley College demonstrates how library services can support a range of issues, in addition to information and learning. Libraries are increasingly positioning themselves as social and cultural spaces and they are increasingly contributing to the health and wellbeing agenda. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of this unique project.”
Dr Ken Thomson, Principal for Forth Valley College, said:
“We’re delighted to have been awarded funding from the IDF to support the range of creative workshops being delivered by our Learning Resource Centres. Not only do the workshops promote creative learning across the college and enhance the learner experience, but they have been proven to aid positive mental health by reducing stress and encouraging mental stimulation.
“They also promote inclusion, bringing students together who may otherwise be socially isolated, and develop their confidence and communication skills.
“This funding will give a real boost to the project and I look forward to seeing the workshops go from strength to strength."