February is a busy month for health and wellbeing initiatives. Below is a list of the various campaigns. Take particular note of Time to Talk Day on 03 February and the walk organised on Campus to mark this event – follow the link below.
- LGBT+ History Month: LGBT History Month was established in 2005 to raise awareness of LGBT history, especially those figures who have campaigned for LGBT rights, so that more people can learn about often overlooked areas of history.
- Dignity Action Day (02 February): organised by the Dignity Care organisation, Dignity Action Day aims to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals and are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.
- Time to Talk Day (03 February): this is a day which promotes the need for conversations and communication about mental health. The theme for this year is ‘However, you do it, start a conversation about mental health’. You will find more on this T&OD sharepoint page, including information about a group walk at 1 pm on Thursday, 03 February.
- World Cancer Day 04 February: is the global uniting initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). This year’s theme is ‘Close the Care Gap’.
- Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week (07-13 February): campaign promoted by The Survivors Trust. The week aims to generate discussion among the general public, statutory bodies and third sector organisations about how sexual abuse and sexual violence is not ok. It aims to empower victims and send out a clear message that the UK collectively will be saying ‘It’s Not Ok’.
- Tinnitus Awareness Week (07-13 February): campaign promoted by the British Tinnitus Association to make sure that everyone with tinnitus gets the right information, from the right place, at the right time. Tinnitus is a collection of symptoms that affect people’s hearing. It can often be a disabling condition and have a considerable detrimental effect on people’s wellbeing. It is something that is well known within the Occupational Health specialism because it can be associated with exposure to noise at work. Our OH team undertake regular audiometric tests for staff members who come into contact with persistent loud noise in the course of their work. UK safety legislation requires this where noise is above a certain level.
- Children’s Mental Health Week (07-13 February): this year’s theme is ‘Growing Together’
- National HIV Testing Week (07-13 February): National HIV Testing Week is a campaign to promote regular testing among the most-affected population groups in England. Regular testing helps to reduce the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV and those diagnosed late. The theme this year is ‘Give HIV the finger: a finger prick test is all it takes’.
- National Apprenticeship Week (07-13 February): formed to celebrate apprenticeships and bring the whole apprenticeship community together. The Week will shine a light on the positive differences that apprenticeships can make to individuals, employers and to the wider economy
- Random Acts of Kindness Week 13-19 February with Random Acts of Kindness Day on 17 February: organised by randomactsofkindness.org, it explains that scientific evidence shows us the positive effects of doing kind acts for others as well as receiving or even witnessing kindness. Even the smallest act of kindness can change a life. The theme for 2022 is to Make Kindness the Norm.
- International Epilepsy Day (14 February): is a joint initiative between the International Bureau for Epilepsy and the International League Against Epilepsy which aims to promote awareness on epilepsy right around the world.
- Fairtrade Fortnight (21 February to 06 March) : organised by the Fairtrade Foundation, the theme for this year is again ‘CHOOSE THE WORLD YOU WANT THIS FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT’, highlighting the growing challenges that climate change brings to farmers and workers in the communities Fairtrade works with.
- World Encephalitis Day (22 February): promoted by the World Encephalitis Day Alliance and the Encephalitis Society, the brain inflammation charity, with the aim of creating a world that recognizes and understands encephalitis and its long-term impact.
- Rare Disease Day (28 February): the main objective of this campaign is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. This is because 1 in 20 people will live with a rare disease at some point in their life.