AN OXFORD lecturer who set up a group to help students with mental health problems will be honoured by the Queen with a new award.

Nicola Byrom will become one of the first people to ever win a Queen’s Young Leaders Award.

The 27-year-old set up the mental health support organisation Student Minds in 2009 when she arrived at Somerville College as a PhD student.

Having experienced an eating disorder in her teenage years, the Jericho resident wanted to help other students.

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She said: “I knew from being a new student that mental health is a difficult topic to raise.

“When I was a teenager my friends were my support network and when you move away for university you lose that, which can be really hard.

“Luckily I was okay and found new sources of support, but it’s not always easy.

“For students, especially in first year, there is this pressure for university to be the best time of your life when often it’s not.

“When I started my PhD I was really keen to help students support each other.”

Student Minds offers support for depression as well as eating disorders and works with 500 volunteers in more than 30 universities.

It runs a comprehensive two-day training workshop to help people support students who use the service.

Dr Byrom said: “It’s amazing how much it’s grown but it couldn’t without fantastic volunteers around the country.

“It shows that students are determined to change perceptions around mental health.”

Dr Byrom is one of just three people from the UK and 60 in the Commonwealth to receive the new award.

Initially put forward for the scheme by her godmother Nic Purkis, Dr Byrom said: “I thought I would just humour my godmother.

“I never thought I would win anything. It was a huge surprise, especially when it was across the whole Commonwealth.”

She will be presented with the award at Buckingham Palace by The Queen in June.

The initiative was established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society to mark The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

Chief executive of the trust Dr Astrid Bonfield said: “The leadership of talented young people in all spheres of life can transform communities and societies for the better.

“The award is poised to unlock the potential of this diverse and talented group of young people and we are delighted to be supporting them to go further and achieve more.”

 

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