Reminder of the Opt-In Lanyard Scheme

The Students’ Union team at South Eastern Regional College have organised an opt-in lanyard scheme to relieve some of the anxiety around wearing face masks for both students and staff the College. 

The College is thankful to all students and staff for supporting safety measures in the College regarding covid-19 and that includes wearing of face masks which  is mandatory in certain places like shops or on public transport and within all SERC public places such as corridors and stairwells to help control the spread of the virus. 

Catherine Shipman, Student Engagement Manager, said, “Masks are not straightforward for everyone. Some people are exempt from wearing facemasks and we ask everyone to please be patient and understanding. Some people may find covering their face very difficult, or even impossible to cope with, and for anyone with existing mental health problems, impairment, or a disability, it can be especially challenging. 

She added, “With this in mind, SERC’s Students’ Union led the initiative for a College-wide opt-in lanyard scheme to help identify students and staff who are exempt from wearing a face mask and, hopefully, help relieve some of the anxiety many of us are experiencing during these unprecedented times."

She concluded, "The team chose the colour grey for the lanyards so they would be more subtle, but students and staff know what it means for the wearer here in SERC.”  

SERC students who wish to make use of the lanyard scheme should contact the SU team:   

Lisburn Campus - Karina Jones - kjones@serc.ac.uk 

Downpatrick or Newcastle Campus - Anna Leahy – aleahy@serc.ac.uk  

Bangor, Newtownards or Holywood Campus – Ross Currie – rcurrie@serc.ac.uk 

The Lanyards available through Student Union are for students only. If a staff member wishes to avail of a card or badge the Government has produced suitable templates that can be downloaded onto mobile phones or can be printed, to access  click here.   Similar templates have also been produced by the charity, Action on Hearing Loss with guidance for anyone with a hearing loss click here.