MUDGEE High School were applauded when they took to social media offering free use of their shower amenities for students doing it tough during drought.

What many might not realise is the school's wellbeing initiatives go far beyond the use of amenities for students.

As part of a larger push within the school to foster open and safe discussion around mental health, Mudgee High School welcomed Hannah McLean as 'Wellbeing Support Officer' to their staff.

Hannah, along with other staff at the school, form a wellbeing team dedicated to working with students to bring programs and activities to the school that embrace open discussion of mental health and breaking down stigma.

Hannah said part of the wellbeing team's work was to break down the stigma around mental health and asking for help.

"It was partly in response to shortages in the local area for psychological services as we know there can be a long wait for the private area and then we've got really quite limited access to psychologists and psychological services in the public sector," she said.

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"I guess in general - the whole kind of learning and support team were interested in taking a more proactive approach and a more preventative approach to mental health and wellbeing. These guys have been doing individual wellbeing sessions with kids, we're trying to get some more group programs rolled out but also do some whole-school programs."

The group targets promotion in shared spaces like stairwells within the school and encourages alternative lunchtime activities for students looking for something valuable to spend time on.

The group has introduced fitness activities run by a certified personal trainer, a delightfully-named 'crafternoon' and the Days for Girls group.

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Students dedicate their lunchtimes to cutting, sewing, picking, pressing, and ironing pads for women across the world in a bid to bridge the period gap. The Mudgee Guardian reported on the group earlier in the year and published an update recently.

The first shipment of kits was earlier this year, dispatched to The Lebanon distribution project. And displaced young women and girls living in refugee camps were the first recipients.

In October, the school took to social media to promote the fact that they're offering students affected by drought - or just doing it tough - free use of the school's shower facilities before-hours.

Additionally, Big W Mudgee got involved and donated toiletries and towels for the students to use.

Wellbeing Support Officer, Hannah McLean said that it's something the school has always offered but with Principal Wayne Eade's support they've been able to grow.

"The idea came out of a team meeting of thinking about the needs of our community and through conversations with our students hearing that many families are having difficulty accessing water, and the effect it has on students and that impact on their self esteem." she said.

"With Wayne's support we've been able to organise the drought support service for students to discreetly use the shower facilities here and Big W have been really supportive in donating all the toiletries and towels for that.

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"The students are welcome to access our learning centre and then they can use the showering service. But doing it through an act of solidarity that this is a reality of our community and its effects are known and it's supporting those students without that stigma attached."

All students are free to use the facilities and are encouraged to get in touch with someone from the wellbeing team if they need to.

Head Teacher of Wellbeing, Robyn Burke says the culture has changed radically since she went to Mudgee High.

"I went to school here and there was never anything - mental health wasn't really a thing at all. Even as a past student and going 'the changes that happened in that way', the support here for kids is amazing," she said.

School Counsellor, Ashleigh Laurie agrees that mental health services are lacking in regional areas and it's important that students know these programs are available and says if it's ever needed, they can help students find outside help.

"We have the programs, but it's so important that we have the services to match because now so much work has been put in nationally to raise awareness of mental health," she said.

"People are more aware of signs and symptoms, there's less stigma so more people are aware when they need support but sometimes - all over the world - there aren't necessarily the services in place to support people when they do reach out,"

"There's always been a school counselling service and a learning support team and obviously these guys were always doing wellbeing-related activities. It was more about making a dedicated team around that,"

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"We know schools are busy places and aren't always responsive to what's happening and it was us getting together with the Principal and going 'we've really got to do something more proactive',"

"That's something we feel really strong about and there's still gaps and there's still work to be done."