Paws4Minds go to college
- Ian Blakemore
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
During the 8-12th September was a new chapter for those entering Further Education at Hull College. Noodle & myself were delighted in supporting the students at the start of their pathway into adulthood. The first week can be daunting, confusing and overwhelming for some people.
A new place, with large buildings, with several floors. Having to negotiate around a place, with so many people, having to learn many names, where classrooms are and a new time table.
Noodle's role is to give a source of comfort to those who need it but also be there who are happy & have good mental health
During Monday to Wednesday the aim was to enable the freshers to meet & learn about Noodle. We made our base in Hully Gardens, which is a central communal area, where people can eat snacks, have a coffee or just sit & relax. Its a central part of the main building which so many people pass through. I set up table, with information and Noodle sat near me on one of the comfy type sofa.
Individuals, groups of friends & staff would come & say hello, some choosing to sit with him for a few minutes, others stroking him quickly as they passed by. We sat and chatted with students. some were happy and excited but others were feeling overwhelmed.
Many of the students were intrigued by Noodle's presence on campus. I explained his role as a Wellbeing Support Dog/Therapy dog. He is non judgemental & his love is unconditional.
The amount of smiles and also happy faces as they saw him, showed how, his presence alone helps improve people's moods by just being there.
Noodle is well known by staff and second year students. We often don't see how busy education staff are or the pressures they face in their roles. The staff definitely enjoy Noodles company and appreciate seeing him as he brings a sense of joy & happiness with his happy face & wagging tail.
Thursday & Friday, we both walked around the campus. Noodle was invited into classrooms & staff areas Noodle loves walking around visiting different rooms. . He does like to investigate and discovers where stashes of food & snacks are kept by staff, maybe he could be trained as a sniffer dog, as a second job?
We were invited into a maths classroom, the technology wasn't playing ball, students couldn't log in. We were walking past, the tutor saw Noodle and invited us in, as everyone was a bit stressed. He soon lightened the mood. She said she needed him more than the students
We popped to see the Data Services Team, they deal with time tables etc, they were more than happy to see Noodle, have him sniff around & stroke him. He made them laugh as he knew where the biscuit cupboard was, nice try Noodle but to no joy.....I know I'm mean, poor boy.
There were so many people and departments that we said hi too, you'd be here all day reading this blog.
I can certainly say he is popular with staff, as he is with the students.
When Paws4Minds work with organisations, we want to support their staff, students, service users/clients, this for me makes our visits so rewarding.
From all different roles & departments. It doesn't matter who you are, mental ill health can affect anyone. There are also different types of mental ill health from stress to severe mental illness & having understanding & developing empathy, can really help people and potentially save lives.
Noodle is a holistic and discreet form of therapy. Often people don't even realise he has supported them. During many occasions he has sat there, letting individuals stroke him, he engages with his paw, tail wagging or even showing people his tennis ball in his mouth. Noodle helps reduce cortisol levels, increases serotonin levels & helps people to bond & socialise with increase of oxytocin. Dogs help to lower blood pressure too. All these help bring a greater sense of calm. These are just some of the simple and basic scientific benefits, there are many more
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