In 2016, Reclaim provided Jewish students with a platform to open up the conversation about mental health; this year we're making sure it stays at the top of the agenda. Thanks to a motion that passed at UJS Conference last December, we're strengthening and widening last year's campaign and we are delighted to bring you the 2017 edition of Reclaim.

Reclaim was pioneered by Louise Cohen, a final-year student at the University of Nottingham, in 2016; this year, Louise is a J-Soc Officer at UJS and she is working with current students to run Reclaim concurrently on digital and physical platforms, seeking to get more people talking about mental health than ever before.

The key aims of Reclaim are to challenge and erase the stigma around mental health; to educate people on the importance of mental health issues; to encourage others to recognise that mental health is as important as physical health; and to educate on how to support others who may be suffering from mental health issues. 

Reclaim is a week-long campaign that will run from 20 - 26 March 2017 and will feature events in Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Brighton and Sussex, Nottingham and on several London campuses, plus more to be confirmed. See the latest on what's happening for Reclaim here.

Online, Reclaim will have a dedicated website: www.reclaimtheconversation.com. The website features a list of the events going on around the country, as well as infographics, blogs and vlogs from students with personal experience of mental illness, instructions on how to get involved and signposting to support services.

Luciana Berger MP, President of the Labour Campaign for Mental Health and ex-Shadow Minister for Mental Health, said:

‘I am delighted that UJS’ brilliant Reclaim campaign is entering its second year. For too long, mental illness has been treated as a taboo subject and there is no exception within the Jewish community. We all have a part to play to bring mental health out of the shadows. I am incredibly proud that UJS is at the forefront of this fight against stigma. The positive impact of this hard work will be felt not only by students, but by families and friends as well. I look forward to seeing the campaign’s success continue.’

It's not too late to get involved with Reclaim  - just drop UJS a Facebook message or email [email protected].