Reality TV star visits Bury St Edmunds college

A Bury St Edmunds college welcomed a special guest reality TV star on Friday.

Made in Chelsea, Josh Patterson visited West Suffolk College where he spoke to business students about mental health and his own experiences and battles.

The college invited the star in as part of their own ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’ where they sought to raise the issues of mental health in society to help support the wellbeing of both students and staff.

Ten different speakers were invited in throughout the week to discuss mental health and how it has effected them personally.

The speakers included Hillary Clifford, managing director, Association of Colleges, Rosie Stamp and Luke Bacon from Healthwatch Suffolk and Jo Churchill, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate.

Josh Patterson took to the stage as the final speaker of the week, where he spoke of his previous struggles with mental health; and also gave the one hundred strong audience advice on how to cope if ever experiencing ill mental health.

Mike Opukah, lecturer in business management at the college said: “Our mental health awareness week was a great success and we were thrilled to welcome all of our speakers to the college who our thanks must go out to. Our students and staff really got a lot out of the week and it was fantastic to join forces with different organisations to look at using the educational environment to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing.”

The week was closed with the students gathering outside the front entrance of the college where they all were invited to blow bubbles as a symbolic way to be free of any worries they may have and to have a picture taken with Josh.