“Expert Self Care are delighted to have entered into a special relationship with The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT).  For over 10 years, BRIT have been striving to support young adult mental health and their annual inclusive BRIT Challenge is an exciting opportunity for every university and college student, and staff member, to take part in a UK-wide feel-good February fundraiser to improve and support young adult mental health and fitness.

BRIT are a collaborative charity and in 2022, they will be inviting every university, college and Students’ Union to enter teams in the BRIT Challenge and chose a second charity to raise funds for, alongside BRIT. This decision will undoubtedly support many local, regional and national charities whose fundraising efforts have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BRIT are striving to unite the education, sport and charity sectors to improve young adult mental health throughout the UK and their approach to champion other charities and support services is both innovative and inspiring. BRIT are determined to destigmatise mental health and their BRIT Ambassadors, who share their lived experience at universities and colleges of their choice, enthuse students to participate in their annual BRIT Challenge and assist with signposting to support available to students and staff.

I am delighted that BRIT will be providing an area on their websites to signpost students and staff to apps available that can support their mental health, including our Expert Self Care apps, and we look forward to promoting the annual BRIT Challenge and encouraging every university, college and Students’ Union to enter teams.”

Dr Knut Schroeder
GP and Health Information App Developer

Founder & Director, Expert Self Care Ltd

Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol​

The distrACT app is free and gives you easy, quick and discreet access to information and advice about self-harm and suicidal thoughts. 

The content has been created by doctors and experts in self-harming and suicide prevention. 

Who is it suitable for?

Anyone over the age of 17 who's concerned about self-harming.

How does it work?

The distrACT app aims to help you better understand urges to self-harm, and encourages you to monitor and manage your symptoms. It can also help reduce the risk of suicide.

There's advice and support information, including emergency contact numbers, how best to work with healthcare professionals, and safer alternatives to self-harming.

In the app's Chill Zone, you can find resources that may help you feel better, including art, books, films, music, poems, quotes, stories and online videos.

How do I access it?

distrACT is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.

The distrACT App

"PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is delighted to continue our partnership with The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) and welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively with other partner charities who share a common goal of supporting students to have the best mental health and stay suicide-safe.

By working together we will raise greater awareness of the vital support which is available and engage with young people who are struggling to regain their self-esteem and self-worth.

Money raised by universities and colleges, taking part in the BRIT Challenge, who choose PAPYRUS as their second charity, alongside BRIT, will pay for potentially life-saving calls, texts and emails to our confidential HOPELINEUK service, which offers support and advice to young people who are struggling and anyone who is worried about a young person who may be having thoughts of suicide.

Fundraising also helps PAPYRUS to engage with local communities and volunteers in suicide prevention projects and supports the training we deliver to individuals and groups.

Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK and we must reduce the number of young people who take their own lives by breaking down the stigma around suicide and equipping people with the skills to recognise and respond to suicidal behaviour. Together we must continue giving hope to young people who are struggling with life - https://www.papyrus-uk.org"

Ged Flynn

Chief Executive 

PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide

“I am thrilled that Universities UK will continue to partner with the British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) in order to invite and encourage all of our 147 UK universities and their Students’ Unions to take part in the annual BRIT Challenge.  Over the past two years, almost 130 university teams have taken on the BRIT Challenges and encouraged their students and staff to participate.  

It is excellent to see BRIT will be delivering their annual inclusive BRIT Challenge as a feelgood February fundraiser; with the collective support of UK universities, this inspiring event should become a firm fixture in the events calendar for students of all ages. BRIT are a collaborative charity and it is great to see that they are inviting every organisation to choose a second charity to raise funds for, alongside BRIT, to support local, regional and national charities; many of whom have felt the impact of the pandemic on their fundraising efforts. 

The next BRIT Challenge will take place throughout February 2022, ending on 3rd March - University Mental Health Day. As President of Universities UK, I  urge all of my fellow Vice-Chancellors to join me in championing the BRIT Challenge by entering teams and embracing this tremendous initiative as a catalyst for adopting a whole university approach to supporting and improving student and staff mental health.”

Professor Steve West CBE DL FChS FCPodM FRSM FRSA

President of Universities UK