University of Warwick’s ‘De-Stresstival’ provides support to over 1,000 students

The University of Warwick has successfully concluded its inaugural ‘De-Stresstival’, a two-week event aimed at promoting student wellbeing during exam season.

Organised by the Active Wellbeing team at Warwick Sport, the festival featured various free activities including mindfulness sessions, relaxation classes, and a mini-farm.

Over 1,000 students took part, with 300 of those engaging with university wellbeing initiatives for the first time. A survey following the event revealed that 95% of attendees felt supported during exams, and 99% expressed interest in future events.

‘De-Stresstival’ offered a wide range of activities designed to alleviate stress, many of which saw substantial engagement across different year groups. The events were run in unison with various university departments and groups, including the Students’ Union, Warwick Arts Centre, and the Chaplaincy.

“The hope will be to increase engagement next year and continue to support wellbeing”

Georgina Pilling, De-Stresstival Lead

Georgina Pilling, Sports Engagement Officer and De-Stresstival Lead, noted the success of the event and expressed hopes for its continuation. She told The Boar: “Supporting the wellbeing of our students is imperative to our Active Wellbeing Team, so we wanted to support our students during this increasingly stressful time.”

85% of those who formally booked to take part in the events were first-year students. When asked about plans to engage more upper-year students in the future, Pilling said: “We hope to gain more upper-year students through focus groups, to understand how to appeal more broadly.

“The hope will be to increase engagement next year and continue to support wellbeing during this time.”

Feedback for the event was generally very positive. One student said: “DeStresstival is a great idea. And to host such an event during exam time, especially since it’s free of charge for students, has been amazing.”

The University of Warwick says it is “committed” to supporting students’ well-being and that plans are already underway to bring the festival back next year.

Feedback on this year’s DeStresstival can be sent to warwickactive@warwick.ac.uk.