Conscious Edinburgh is a brand-new student led initiative that hopes to not only raise money for some amazing charities that support mental health causes (SAMH, Edinburgh Nightline, Real Talk, CALM, SANE and the Edinburgh Crisis Centre) but also to raise awareness amongst the student body here at the University of Edinburgh and beyond.

Conscious was born out of a personal tragedy, Rahoul Biswas-Hawkes, a close friend of the founding presidents of Conscious, tragically took his own life during his first year at University. Rahoul had been suffering from depression to such an extent where he felt there was nothing that could be done and it was a great source of alarm to us that he was suffering alone.

Since Conscious’ inception it has only become more apparent to us how important the open conversations we want to start about mental health are. 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health issue during our lifetime, 90% of whom will face stigma due to this. This simply should not be the case. Conscious Edinburgh believe that unless there is an environment in which these conversations are encouraged to take place, without fear of judgment or shame, these statistics will not change.

At Conscious Edinburgh we hope to not only to organise one of the most magnificent and entertaining nights of the year, The Conscious Ball on the 17th November, but to also organise events throughout the year that focus on starting the conversation surrounding mental health across the whole University. The Ball has so far been endorsed by many famous faces including Dame Kelly Holmes and Tony Adams MBE. We hope that it will be a truly unforgettable event and one that will become a staple of the University of Edinburgh calendar, but for this we need your help!

You have the opportunity to donate towards the success of Conscious Edinburgh and be part of this movement even if you cannot attend the ball. Share this page to all of your friends and family who you think would want to support our cause and let’s make Conscious Edinburgh a resounding success! For more information on the ball be sure to LIKE our Facebook Page and check out our website Conscious Edinburgh