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Dr Alex George Visit
28th October 2022

We were thrilled to host Dr Alex George at CLC recently. Known as ‘Dr Alex’, he is celebrated as a media personality, mental health champion and medical doctor who became famous through his appearance on Love Island a number of years ago.

Thanks to Dr Alex being in Cheltenham for the Literature Festival, he was able to visit us for two days, spending time with each year group, as well as with some visiting primary schools we invited along.

Dr Alex, a qualified A&E doctor, is a passionate advocate for wellbeing in the community and an exceptional role model for young people. He was appointed the Youth Mental Health Ambassador by the government in 2021 and through his media profile, he works tirelessly to campaign for support for young people.

In addition to his bestselling book, Live Well Every Day which addresses many of the health challenges of today’s world, Dr Alex has recently published his first book for young people: a mental wellness toolkit called A Better Day. The book provides insight and practical techniques to help tackle all sorts of important topics including anxiety, peer pressure and dealing with exam stress. During his visit, Dr Alex shared many tips and suggestions from his book.

Dr Alex made a huge impression on us all – he is kind, compassionate, wise and witty. Hearing about his role as a medic and what motivated him to become involved in matters of wellbeing was inspiring. Dr Alex is one of the countless individuals who worked unstintingly in A&E during the pandemic, and he shared how some of his experiences within this environment helped shape his approach and commitment to mental health and wellbeing.

During his presentation, Dr Alex spoke frankly about failure, disappointments and how many of the challenges he had as a child and younger student have helped make him the person he is today. It was uplifting to spend time with him, and the feedback from staff and students has been most enthusiastic and appreciative.

Dr Alex was with us over two days, and his talk to senior students was particularly helpful to those considering their future studies. Representatives from the Professional Guidance Centre here at CLC were thrilled that he gave such excellent and wise advice to our students. The rapturous applause at the end of his visit demonstrated the level of appreciation we all have for him.

His visit most certainly uplifted us and I am sure that everyone who heard him speak took something away that would be of benefit personally – I certainly did.

Ms Woodhead, Head of Lower College & Wellbeing Co-ordinator

Below are a selection of quotes from students about the event:

“It was really great that Dr Alex George could come to CLC. He talked about managing disappointment. As someone who has experienced some disappointment and general anxiety about university, I felt that he came at the perfect time! He was a really approachable and gentle person – when I talked to him directly, he reassured me that everything will work itself out, like it did for him.”

“I really enjoyed the talk and I think it was very inspiring as he shared ways we can boost our mental wellbeing and how to find ways to cope when things are tough. He also shared some of his personal experiences to show that no one is alone, and it is important to remember we are in a community where everyone is welcome and everyone is heard, no matter how big or small.”

“Dr Alex George gave an inspiring talk on mental health awareness to us during his visit to CLC. He raised many important points. Dr Alex spoke of how he disagreed with the term ‘disorder’. I agree with him, because ‘disorder’ makes it sound like it is a problem… Instead of being scorned, those who have a condition should be supported and helped when needed.”