All smiles at the Western Wellness Education Centre as they celebrate their $1-million donation.
Heidi Baillie of the Fairmont Foundation presents the $1-million donation towards bettering Western’s new WEC.
The Western Wellness Education Centre held an official ribbon cutting ceremony to highlight the fact that they are now able to provide even more support for students, or anyone, who seeks mental health and wellness resources. The donation was all thanks to the Fairmount Foundation’s generosity. Western’s Associate Vice President Student Experience, Jana Luker, says the one-stop-shop for help is an easier way for students who may be overwhelmed with the amount of resources on campus.
Western President Amit Chakma discusses the importance of mental health and the need for students to feel secure in their own university.
“I think that there is now a centralized place, this is where students know they can come especially if they are not sure where to go or if they are confused about resources,” says Luker. “They can come to the Wellness Education Centre and get the referrals they need in order to feel supported while they are at school.”
With the donation, comes an annual lecture series that brings speakers to campus on the topic of health and wellness. In addition to the money and the lecture series, the Fairmont Foundation donated an international learning bursary to provide students facing financial difficulty with the opportunity to study abroad.