Oaklands students design mental health awareness campaign

Marketing students at Oaklands College put their skills into practice by taking on a live brief for Sunnyside Rural Trust, developing a marketing and social media campaign to champion mental health.

The project, designed to mirror real‑world industry experience, challenged students to work together to research, plan, and create a series of engaging social media posts aimed at raising awareness of learning disabilities, promoting inclusion, and celebrating the vital work Sunnyside Rural Trust does within the community.

The trust is a charity that supports people with learning disabilities through training, employment opportunities, and horticultural projects.

Throughout the project, students applied a wide range of marketing techniques they have been developing during their Level 3 Extended Diploma Marketing course. This included audience research, tone‑of‑voice development, visual branding, content planning, and the creation of platform‑specific posts designed to maximise engagement. Teams also explored how to communicate sensitive topics respectfully and effectively, ensuring their campaign aligned with the values and mission of Sunnyside Rural Trust. The students then presented back their completed campaigns to a panel made up of representatives from Sunnyside Rural Trust and Oaklands College staff.

College business lecturer Abrar Nakib said: “Our students have shown an impressive level of creativity, professionalism, and sensitivity throughout this project. Working with Sunnyside Rural Trust has given them a meaningful opportunity to apply their skills to a real brief with real impact. It’s been inspiring to see just how thoughtfully they have approached the challenge, and how committed they are to producing content that supports inclusion and raises awareness.”