College launches smoke-free campus

We have partnered with Barnsley Council to launch our new smoke-free Old Mill Lane campus in support of making smoking invisible in Barnsley. To celebrate the launch, artwork by Barnsley Sixth Form College student Megan Shepherd has been installed around the campus to encourage people not to smoke.

Megan, who is studying A Levels in Art and Design, Criminology and Psychology, said: “I’m proud to have won the competition and excited to see my design being used on the signage. I thought my character design would be relatable to other students and it would be a good way to communicate the message.”

“We are pleased to be able to take this step and launch the Smoke-Free College initiative, working alongside the council to help make smoking invisible in Barnsley.”

Liz Leek, Deputy Principal for Culture, Place and Communities at Barnsley College, added: “Our support for students and the local community extends beyond education. We want to ensure they live healthy, enriched lives, and that together, we can make Barnsley a great place to live, learn and work.

“We have been working closely with Barnsley Council since 2019 to support all our staff and students to go tobacco free. Earlier this year, we collaborated to launch an exciting new pilot scheme, which offers financial incentives to support young people in giving up smoking.

“Today, we are pleased to be able to take this one step further to launch the Smoke-Free College initiative, working alongside the council to help make smoking invisible in Barnsley.”

Dan Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central, commented: “It’s great to see Barnsley College and Barnsley Council working closely together to help make smoking invisible in our borough. This new smoke-free zone joins many others across Barnsley, building on their success to continue changing attitudes around smoking in our borough.

“These smoke-free spaces are just one example of the great work happening in Barnsley to make smoking less common, and I want to thank everyone involved in shaping this work for helping to make this possible. Megan has created an inspiring piece of work and she should be very proud of that.”

All Barnsley College and Barnsley Sixth Form College students have access to a wealth of health and wellbeing support, including a Wellbeing Garden, Wellbeing Pups and an award-winning Health and Wellbeing Centre that provides advice and guidance on a range of topics including stopping smoking, and works with external partners to support physical and mental wellbeing.

The College is committed to transforming the lives of students, staff and communities. We offer a range of study programmes including full and part-time vocational courses, apprenticeships, A Levels, T Levels and university-level courses. For information on any of the courses, visit www.barnsley.ac.uk/courses or contact our Information Team by emailing info@barnsley.ac.uk or calling 01226 216 123.