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Stress Awareness Month.

According to Harvard Health, "stress" is a state of worry and mental tension caused by a difficult situation and has psychological and physiological effects. April is a time dedicated to raising awareness of the effects of stress, learning how to manage it, and supporting those who experience it.

[Image description: In front of a bright and calm background there is a pink paper brain with three yellow lightning bolts leading to it and on the left side the word "PAIN" is written in different coloured letters.)

International Transgender Visibility Day!

Today is dedicated to celebrating the joy and resilience of trans and non-binary people around the world by highlighting the voices and experiences of their communities. They still have to fight for their basic human rights and face political attacks across the world.

[Image description: The photo shows a bright blue background and the focus is on a hand held up with the colours of the transgender flag painted on the palm.]

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Today is a time to remember the 69 people who were killed by the police in South Africa during a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. 65 years later, people around the world still suffer from the injustice and stigma of racism, and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination aims to raise awareness of this issue.

[Image description: In front of a dark background, twelve hands are extended towards the centre and touching each other, all hands are of a different skin colour].

Today marks the middle of March. This month is dedicated to celebrating the remarkable achievements and contributions of women throughout our history. It is a time to share experiences and learn about the challenges women have faced and continue to face. Each year, a different woman and her achievements are highlighted to empower others.

[Image description: On a white background are several shapes of women's heads, all in different shades of grey.]

Today's goal is to brighten someone's day by giving a compliment or leaving a kind note. The day was first started in Denver in the USA in 1995 by a non-profit organisation trying to cultivate the feeling of kindness.

[Image description: The image shows two red lockers, probably in a school, and a hand slipping a paper note into one of the lockers, the note saying "Have a great day".]

Today is the last day of Student volunteering week!

This week is an annual event run by the Student Volunteering Network to encourage students to get involved in volunteering. Universities and schools across the UK take part, encouraging and celebrating all those students who are already helping their local communities.

[image description: Five young girls stand around two boxes labelled 'Donations' containing things like toys. At least three of the girls are wearing blue badges that say "Volunteer".]

Today is a time to spend with someone you love! This day is often celebrated by giving each other gifts and red roses, one of the most recognisable modern symbols of love. It was in England in 1382 that Valentine's Day was first associated with love.

[Image description: Three heart-shaped coils of plastic lie on a light pink background.]

Today is also the International Day of Women in Science!

The 11th of February is a day designated by the United Nations to invest in the scientific education of girls and women, as well as to provide them with opportunities for their future in the scientific field. A study by the UN shows that the likelihood of a woman graduating with a bachelor's degree in science is only 18%, while the likelihood of a man graduating with a bachelor's degree in science is 37%.

[ Image description: The photo shows four scientists working together in a laboratory, three of whom are women.]

Today is the UK's biggest celebration of internet safety and this year's theme "Too good to be true?" focuses on the issue of online scams, how to protect yourself and others, and what support is available.

[image description: On the blurred and colourful background is a white sketch of a web, showing the connection between different locks and envelopes, representing the internet and different websites. There are also some white skulls in the web, representing the dangers of the internet.]

Today is the last day of UK Children's mental health week.

This week is a time to give all children and young people in the UK a voice, to educate and to help. "Know Yourself, Grow Yourself” is the theme for 2025. It is about empowering the young people to embrace and explore their self-awareness as well as the expression of their emotions.

[image description: The image shows a light background and, to the left, a young girl with dark hair holding up a smiley face.]

Today, you can show the people you care about how much they mean to you by sending them a card. It is a simple but thoughtful gesture, especially in the age of digital communication.

[Image description: An image of different postcards piled on top of each other, showing all the colourful stamps.]

Today is the day to get together with friends, family, neighbours or work colleagues to start a conversation and talk about mental health. As the UK's biggest mental health conversation, Time to Talk Day has the power to change lives.

[image description: A drawing of four adults, all of them in different coloured T-shirts and with speech bubbles, and they seem to be talking to each other.]

Today marks the middle National Storytelling Week. This week highlights the power of sharing a story and encourages everyone to read daily or write their own story.

The theme "Reimagine your World" suggests that stories have the power to make us forget the "real world" by immersing us in it, as well as showing us someone else's perspective and developing basic literacy skills.

[image description: The overall light image shows an open book on a table and letters seem to emerge from the pages, as well as objects such as a ship or a pirate with his treasure.]

Those of you who have attended our staff training sessions will know how important dignity is in constructive disagreement. Donna Hicks is such a good teacher and writer on dignity. Here’s a recent LinkedIn post …

This year marks the 20th anniversary of LGBT History Month in the UK, with the theme 'Activism and Social Change'. The month is dedicated to celebrating and educating about our diverse and rich LGBT history and usually highlights 5 important people from the past and present.

[image description: This is a photo of a demonstration; we can see the back of the crowd and people holding signs and rainbow flags.]

There has been a dramatic increase in anti-Semitism over the last 5 years. This day is an opportunity for people to come together, learn and take action under this year's theme "For a Better Future". Today also marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

[image description: The image shows a black and grey drawing of the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.]