Pink Shirt Day support a team effort

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Marlborough Girls’ College students have pulled out all the stops to help make sure the Pink Shirt Day message is heard. Joining other schools and workplaces across Marlborough on Friday, the college held a week of events all geared to help highlight kindness.

Hauora Manutaki (wellness prefects) organised a week of fun for students, culminating with Pink Shirt Day.

Hauora Leader Rachel Anderson says the team felt strongly about getting involved, organising a dress up day donation and a pink cup cake stall. Cupcakes were made by the hospitality club.

Volunteers from Marlborough Youth Trust also visited, bringing pink polish to brighten up the day by painting students’ nails.

Student Maddie Winstanley says pupils have been keen to join in.

“There’s a big emphasis on Pink Shirt Day but not much going on elsewhere and we wanted to make it more of a longer focus.

“We’re all responsible for our own mental health and we should also be lifting each other up.”

Pink Shirt Day is about the community coming together to help stop bullying by raising awareness of the issue while celebrating diversity and encouraging kindness.

The MGC committee came up with the slogan ‘we rise by lifting others.’

Student Allie Treloar says they will continue this message throughout the year.

“Continuing to get people to think about it throughout the year is important,” she says.

Mental Health Foundation (MHF) chief executive Shaun Robinson says people all have the power to prevent bullying.

“We can all help reduce bullying by calling it out when we see it happening.

“Don’t be a bystander, be an upstander. People who are bullied are more likely to experience mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, but studies show that over half of bullying incidents stop when intervention happens.

“We strongly believe that it’s everyone’s job to make Aotearoa a kinder, more inclusive place, where diversity is celebrated”.