By Jacqueline Grima
Everybody knows that this time of year can be extremely stressful for university students. With exams looming, dissertations due and even perhaps the prospect of leaving university and entering the big wide world of work on the horizon, sometimes the summer term can be a bit overwhelming!
To try and combat some of this potential anxiety, the Manchester Metropolitan University Sport team, are staging an event that many students will find impossible to resist. Called ‘Discover Guide Dogs with MMU Sport‘, the event will take place at the Students’ Union on 27th April and aims to banish exam and dissertation stress by offering lots of cuddles with some furry friends!
For many years, specially trained dogs have been used to combat stress in various situations such as on the children’s wards of hospitals. Research has also shown that owning a dog can be beneficial to people with a variety of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Dogs available for cuddles on the day include retired service dogs and some very cute puppies with cuddle-wannabees asked to pay a donation of £3.50 that will be donated to the Guide Dog Association. If you are feeling stressed and want to book a cuddle, please see the Manchester Met Shop!
As if that is not enough, it seems that Manchester Met has gone canine crazy this year as the Manchester Children’s Book Festival (MCBF) Family Fun Day, taking place at the university on Saturday 25th June, is also celebrating all things pug!
The 2016 festival will be themed around Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve’s book Pugs of the Frozen North, the Family Fun Day offering lots of pug-themed activities as well as hosting a dog display in All Saints Park by Manchester City Council’s First Response Unit. Also on hand to answer any pug-related questions will be the Pug Dog Welfare and Rescue Association.
For more information about the Family Fun Day and all the other exciting events of the Manchester Children’s Book Festival, see the MCBF blog.
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