People like us: What’s it about and why should I join?

Computing students working side by side in a PC lab

People like us: What’s it about and why should I join?

28 January 2022

People like us is a project we kicked off last year to address the racial and cultural barriers in accessing wellbeing support for Black Asian Majority Ethnic students.

Brought to life by UWL, the NHS and the SU; we have teamed up with members of the community to tailor specific support groups for different communities.

To find out more about how the project is going, we caught up with Shemahni Shepherd who recently joined the project to ask a couple of questions. Here’s what she had to say:

What is People like us about?

People like us is a project that amplifies BAME voices and provides a safe space to discuss the various issues that affect different communities.

Why did you decide to join the project?

My mentor suggested I join People like us because at the time I was writing my dissertation about mental health and I felt it would be a good way for me to learn more about it, as well as to learn more about myself.

How do you feel it has benefitted you so far?

I’ve found that listening to other people’s experiences has helped me understand myself better. It makes me feel less alone and it’s provided me with the opportunity to get to know people like me.

Why do you think this project is important?

I think that voices in the BAME community are often muted, so this gives a chance for people to be able to talk openly and honestly. I’m looking forward to attending more sessions this year and learning more about how we can best support ourselves and each other.

You can sign up online to access mental health and wellbeing support designed by students, for students - all in collaboration with wellbeing experts from across our community. There’s no commitment: you can attend sessions in-person or online and dip in and out in a way that suits you.

If you’d like to get involved or find out more, check out the People like us page.

You can also contact peoplelikeus@uwl.ac.uk for more information.

People like us

We aim to address racial and cultural barriers to accessing wellbeing support, working with current students to create specific support groups for Black Asian Majority Ethnic students.