October is Black History Month.  We had information boards out, and the African Community Association of Bolton (ACAB), Bollywood Dancing, Bolton Council and the Greater Manchester BAME Social Enterprise Network came to the Mall on Tuesday 12^th October.   Students and staff had a great time taking part in the drumming workshops and the Bollywood dancing in the Chancellor’s Mall.

We had a stand in the Mall to raise awareness about Dyslexia.  We focused on Invisible Dyslexia, with information boards out and staff around to answer your questions.

We put the chalk board out for World Mental Health day.  We asked you to write your top tips for improving your mental health and to have a go at our mental health quiz.  We posted your top tips on Facebook, here is a small selection of your suggestions; good diet, be optimistic, limit social media use, faith, exercise, mindfulness. 

To mark International Pronouns Day, we wrote on our board all the pronouns we could think of, we then put it in the Mall and invited you to add anymore which we may have missed.  International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace in society.  If you want to learn more about pronouns go to mypronouns.org#PronounsDay.  Please remember if you have experienced Hate Crime and need to talk, the SU Office is a Hate Crime Reporting Centre.  We can discuss the incidents which have happened to you, help you access services for extra support and assist you with reporting the Hate Crime if this is what you want to do.  To make an appointment email Janet at jg6@bolton.ac.uk or you can call 01204 900 850.

We wore yellow socks on the 21^st October in solidarity with lonely young people. Explore the new #LonelyNotAlone universe to find out what it’s like to be young and lonely.  The universe goes on forever. Loneliness doesn’t have to lonelynotalone.org @lonelynotalone

We had lots of free Spooktacular family activities happening during the last week of October.  We had Halloween crafts and a special Black Cat Day Scavenger Hunt.  Toni hid a number of little black cats across Senate House and the Chancellor's Building for you to find.    We made up cryptic rhymes to help you find the Black Cats and we had some great prizes on offer for the winners.

Throughout October, we continued to train our Society Leaders and Course Reps.  We attended as many Student Staff Liaison Committees (SSLC) as we could and, continued to give advice to students and support them with academic and other issues.  Remember, we offer free, impartial and confidential advice to all University of Bolton students.