Samworth Church Academy awarded their King Constantine Medal to Bethany Wigley

Posted: 12 December 2019

Samworth Church Academy awarded their King Constantine Medal to student Bethany Wigley for her outstanding leadership and service in raising money and awareness around mental health.

Beth was voted ‘Miss Mansfield and Sherwood Forest’ in 2018 and since being crowned has managed to raise over £9,000, for her nominated charity, Rethink Mental Illness, a charity that fights for equality, rights, the fair treatment and maximum quality of life for all those affected by mental illness, their carers, family and friends.

To promote Rethink Mental Illness, Bethany arranged many charity events.  She has worked alongside schools in the local area to get her message out to as many young people as she can, and promote mental health education. She encouraged 15 schools to take part in a non-uniform day on the 10th October 2018 to coincide with World Mental Health Day and raised a whopping £5032 for the charity. Bethany also ran a competition for schools to design a poster to show how they can look after their own and other people’s mental health. The winner, from Ashfield School, had their poster published on the side of Mansfield District Council’s refuse lorries for thousands of residents to see every week.

Bethany organised and took part in ‘Walky Talky’ – a 20 mile walk around Mansfield and the surrounding villages to promote the positive impact walking and getting outside can have on a person’s mental health.

‘The academy are extremely proud of Bethany’s extensive achievements. She has been an excellent ambassador for the academy both inside and outside of the academy. We look forward to seeing her future success.’

Bethany, who was studying for her A-levels in psychology, history and fine art, said that juggling her education and role as Miss Mansfield and Sherwood Forest was ‘challenging’, but she wouldn’t change a thing.

Bethany graduated from Samworth Church Academy this year and has accepted a place at Birmingham City University to study psychology. She hopes to graduate and work as a psychologist which will give her the opportunity to pursue her career to help people with mental illnesses.

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