Got Support? (Peer Support)

Peer Support is a one-to-one meet-up service open to any student looking for a little extra company and connection during their time at St Andrews. It is part of StAnd Together, an initiative connected to both the Union and the University that focuses on student wellbeing and mutual support. The Peer Support Network is made up of student volunteers trained in active listening who are available to meet up for coffee, have regular chats, or attend society events with the students they are paired with.

How does Peer Support work?

Peer Support is a service for any student who is feeling lonely, in need of a little extra support, wants a fellow student to chat to, or even just wants someone to go to an event with. You can ask to be matched with a Peer Supporter at any time during term time. Here’s how the process works:

Send an email to [email protected] including:
1. Your academic year
2. The kind of support you would like (emotional support, someone to attend events with you, a one-time meetup, etc.)
3. Your interests
The Peer Support Coordinator will pair you with one of our trained volunteers through a matching email. We may also ask for some extra information to help us make the best match.
Your Peer Supporter will email you to arrange to meet up.
The first time you meet with your Peer Supporter, you will discuss how you would like your relationship to work. This includes what you want to get out of the programme, but also things like how you interact if you bump into each other outside of your pre-planned meetings, how you want to tell others you met if they ask, and whether you’d like to be connected on social media.
You can then continue to meet with your Peer Supporter for as long as you’d like! Most of the students using Peer Support choose to meet with their Peer Support around once per week, but this can be adapted to your needs.

If things don’t work out with the Peer Supporter you are initially matched with, please let the Coordinator know (by emailing [email protected]) and we will pair you with a new volunteer.

International Student Mentoring Scheme

Working with the International Student Officer, Got Support has introduced this scheme this year. It works the same as the standard peer support, but instead the peer supporters are international students, supporting fellow international students, offering their shared experience. Whether you are feeling a bit lonely in a new place or simply waiting to find more people from the same area, we have the support available.

Just follow the same steps as above, as well as adding your home country/region, we will match you to someone from the same area or similar.

If you wish to be a volunteer for this scheme, you can find the application on our Linktree.

Society Buddy Scheme

This works in the same way as the standard peer support, but specifically for joining a new society and having someone to go with. At least one member of each society will be a 'buddy' and can welcome you to the society, by accompanying you to an event you wish to go to.

Workshops

Peer Support offers Active Listening workshops for individuals, societies, subcommittees, and other student groups!

These workshops are open to students, societies and staff. They are one-hour long workshops that teach you valuable active listening and signposting skills, providing a safe space to talk about handling certain situations.

This year, these will be expanded to other topics such as work-life balance.

To register your interest or for more information, please email [email protected].

Projects & Events

Got Support runs a variety of wellbeing projects and community events throughout the year. Got Support has hosted quiet/safe rooms alongside student events where potentially distressing topics were discussed, such as panel discussion events or guest speaker events. This has been an opportunity for our trained Peer Support volunteers to provide a little bit of extra support and comfort to students. We also run workshops with local primary schools, covering topics surrounding mental health. This coming year, we will be hosting a community-wide mental health event with our charity partner, as well as other projects behing the scenes.

Get Involved

Peer Support is currently recruiting new volunteers—applications will remain open all summer! All students going into their second year or above are welcome to apply, and no previous experience is necessary. Volunteers do 1:1 peer support, whilst supporting committee members with their mental health projects. Find out more here.

Know someone you think would make a great Peer Supporter? Send them an anonymous nudge to apply!

Applications are also open for several roles on the Peer Support committee, including Workshop and Training Officer, Sports Outreach Officer and Secretary. Committee members support the running of the service, as well as lead different mental health projects. Find out more here.