On Thursday, we’re celebrating University Mental Health Day, led by UK student mental health charity Student Minds. Here at Kent we’ve got a range of events to help boost your wellbeing, as well as support for your mental health while you work and study.

What’s on: Thursday 13 March

• Head to Nexus in Templeman Library for therapy dogs, crafts, games and to try a VR headset! You can also speak to staff from Student Support and Wellbeing. 10:00-16:00 with therapy dogs 12:00-16:00.
• Rehome a house plant or bring yours to the pop-up house plant hospital on the plaza, 12:00-14:00.
• Enjoy free tea, coffee and pastries at the Tea and Talk Morning at The Deep End, 9:30-11:30.
• Head to the Oasis Lounge in Medway to cuddle a therapy dog and for free drinks, snacks and colouring, 12:00-14:00. You can also speak to staff from Student Support and Wellbeing and the Medway Chaplain.
• Give yoga a try with the Yoga Society in Park Wood Dance Studio, 13:00-14:00.
• ‍Relax with a Meditation Session led by the Mindfulness Society in Park Wood Dance Studio, 15:00-16:30.
• Decorate a stress ball and enjoy mindful colouring with ResLife in DG-01, Templeman Library, 15:00-17:00.
•  Join a free exercise class to boost your mood. Sign up at Kent Sport reception.

See all Uni Mental Health Day events and learn more about support.

Find out what’s on this week including Uni Mental Health Day and Graduation Launch events.

Monday 10 March: Wellbeing workshop, graduating reflection (Medway) and time management workshop

On Monday you can attend the monthly wellbeing workshop in Keynes on the theme of ‘New beginnings – any time of year!’, led by Mental Health practitioners in Student Support and Wellbeing.

Are you graduating soon and based at Medway? You’re invited to this in-person session to encourage reflection and help you decide what you want to do next.

Does your time management need improving? Join this online Study Plus workshop all about time management, including common barriers and creating a practical plan for your needs.

Tuesday 11 March: Medway Graduation launch and mindfulness colouring

If you’re graduating this year at Medway, drop into the Oasis Lounge for the Medway Graduation Launch. Find out when your graduation ceremony will be and ask the graduation team any questions you may have. Tempest Photography and the Graduate Gowning Company will also be there to answer your photography and gowning questions.

Members of the counselling team will be available in Nexus to answer any queries you may have about therapy and mindfulness. Take some time to de-stress and unwind with mindful colouring.

Wednesday 12 March: Canterbury Graduation launch and PG Talk

On Wednesday it’s the Canterbury Graduation Launch! Taking place in Darwin Conference Suite, this is your chance to find out when your graduation ceremony will take place, get measured for your gown and ask any questions about your graduation day. Open to final year and PG students graduating this year. Drop by between 12:00-19:00, or 11:00-12:00 for the quiet hour (needs to be booked).

The next PG Talk is about ‘Research at Kent: Shaping the future’ and is open to all PG students. This is a chance for research students to present their research to fellow postgrad students in a safe, friendly and constructive space, and for PGT students to learn about the types of research taking place at Kent.

Thursday 13 March: Uni Mental Health Day and ‘Ice and Fire’ workshop and performance

Thursday is University Mental Health Day! There’s lots on including therapy dogs, VR headsets, games and crafts in Nexus, where you can also speak to members of Student Support and Wellbeing. Plus, there are society-led yoga and mindfulness sessions, free exercise classes and house plant hospital on the plaza. At Medway, head to the Oasis Lounge for a therapy dog session, crafts and to find out how you can look after your mental health.

We are delighted to welcome Actors for Human Rights bringing ‘Ice and Fire’ to campus.  Join them for a participatory workshop: Mapping the Asylum Process exclusively for students which will give you an opportunity to understand the complexities of the UK asylum seeking process and the challenges people face as they navigate it to gain legal status.

Later, Actors for Human Rights will perform Asylum Monologues, a stunning performance crafted from first-hand accounts of the UK’s asylum system in the words of people who have experienced it. This will be followed by a Q&A featuring panellists from KRAN, Care 4 Calais alongside Ice and Fire moderated by Student Action for Refugees (STAR) society.

Friday 14 March: Holi celebration (Medway) and Spring Career Fair prep

Get ready to dive into a world of vibrant colours and festive joy at The Hub’s Medway Holi Colour Throwing event on Friday afternoon!

The Spring Careers Fair is coming up on Tuesday 18 March. Join this online session on Friday about unlocking opportunities and strategies for success at the upcoming Careers Fair.

Saturday 15 March: Trip to Leeds Castle

If you live in on-campus accommodation, you can enjoy a coach trip to Leeds Castle. Enjoy a day out to King Henry VIII’s beautiful castle in the stunning Kent countryside for just £5 (includes coach trip and entry).

See more student events.

Opportunities

• Santander’s Brighter Futures Grants are back! You have the chance to win 1 of 10 £1,000 grants for Kent students to boost your studies. Use the money for rent, bills, study resources or anything else you need. Enter by 15 May for your chance to win. T&Cs apply. No need to bank with Santander to take part. Good luck!

See more student opportunities.

Find out what’s on this week including WorldFest celebrations, Careers’ Inspiring Women Week and National Student Money Week.

Monday 3 March: Exam ILP drop in (Medway), basket challenge and empowering talks

If you want to check your Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) exam adjustments, or if you think you would be entitled to exam adjustments because of a disability, specific learning difference, mental health condition or long-term medical condition, come along to M1-03 for a drop-in with the Medway Disability Adviser.

Join us for an empowering session with Kent Alumna, Kinga Stabryla, the Managing Director of the award-winning agency Brandspire. Taking place in Cornwallis East, this session is all about navigating the workplace as women of worth and delves into the complexities of the mental load carried by women, both in and out of the workplace.

There’s also a talk from Women in Law Kent about personal branding for women in Law, taking place in Grimond. They will share their career journeys, insights, and experiences, followed by a Q&A.

As part of National Student Money Week, Kent Students’ Union will have a basket challenge in Nexus where you can guess the price of two baskets of shopping (branded items versus their value counterparts). Whoever has the closest guess will win the basket! (Two chances to win).

Tuesday 4 March: Medway Global Hangout, Pets as Therapy (Medway) and hear from inspiring women

Join in with the Medway Global Hangout for a fun afternoon of games and craft activities to celebrate Pancake Day in the Oasis Lounge, Medway. You can also drop into The Hub for Pets as Therapy over lunch time and connect with a cute dog!

As part of Careers’ Inspiring Women Week, there’s events with Kent alumna Fiona Kettle about putting the Creative in Creative Operations, and a talk about being the only women in the room by AI Machine Learning Engineer and Associate Director Rhian Taylor, who shares her journey through academia and industry as a woman in STEM.

Wednesday 5 March: Canterbury Global Hangout, KSU Advice pop-up, language taster sessions and WorldFest Games

Join us for the Canterbury Global Hangout for an afternoon of fun games, crafts and refreshments.

Want to give a new language a try? Join a WorldFest language taster session on Wednesday in Japanese, Arabic, Mandarin or Russian and Ukrainian.

Speak to the KSU Advice Team on the Plaza on Wednesday about tips and strategies to manage your money effectively. They will be there to discuss budgeting tips as well as giving out freebies.

Get a team together and join in with our friendly WorldFest Games and represent your culture, society or country. Compete in 4 different sports – badminton, basketball, pickleball and table tennis for your chance to win prizes including £100 for the team that comes first place!

Thursday 6 March: Crafternoon (Medway) and give archery tag a try

Decorate pocket mirrors and bookmarks at the ‘This Girl Can’ Crafternoon at The Hub on Thursday. Get creative and meet new people.

ResLife and Kent Sport are delighted to launch their new Archery Tag Sessions. Think Nerf and Dodgeball but with Bows and Arrows!

Friday 7 March: Iftar dinner and be in the audience for ‘The 3^rd Degree’ recording

On Friday evening you’re invited to our Iftar dinner in Rutherford Dining Hall. You can choose from a butter chicken curry or vegetable biryani. The event is open to all and there will be a fast -track lane for students who are breaking their fast. Come along for great food and a chat!

BBC Radio 4 is coming to Kent to record an episode of a general knowledge quiz show ‘The 3^rd Degree’, hosted by Steve Punt (Mock the Week, Horrible Histories). It’s a light-hearted show that pits three undergrads against three of their lecturers in a general knowledge/university subject quiz. Book now to be part of the audience.

Reminders and opportunities

• The deadline to apply for Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) adjustments is Friday 7 March. If you have a query about an ILP, get in touch with Student Support and Wellbeing by emailing KentSSW@kent.ac.uk (Canterbury students) or MedwaySSW@kent.ac.uk. (Medway students).
• Want to get rewarded over the summer and get a paid internship? The deadline to log your Employability Points is the 10 March. Make sure that you have over at least 50 points to be able to apply for the rewards taking place this summer.
• Do you want to represent your fellow students and have a say in shaping the future of the student experience at Kent? Apply to be part of the Kent 2030 Student Advisory Panel by 11 March.

ISARR is the University’s health, safety and environmental incident reporting system that students and staff can use.

Incident reporting refers to the reporting of incidents (e.g. slips, falls, manual handling injuries, burns, cuts), near misses (where no injury or damage has occurred but it had the potential to), fire related incidents (e.g. False fire alarms, fires) and environmental incidents (e.g. spills, fly tipping).  

It is important to report health, safety and environmental incidents that occur at Kent for several reasons;  

• Ensuring Care and Follow-up: Most importantly, reporting incidents where an injury has occurred allows us to check on the injured individual and ensure they receive the appropriate care. 

• Identifying Root Causes: Incident reporting enables the university to investigate the causes of incidents. By identifying hazards or areas requiring improvement in procedures and equipment, we can address these issues and ultimately reduce the risk of further incidents. 

• Legal Compliance: There are legal requirements for reporting certain incidents. Proper documentation ensures compliance with these regulations, and failure to report could lead to fines, penalties, or legal action. 

• Improving Safety: Incident reports provide valuable data that can be analysed to improve safety and environmental protocols, training programs, and workplace design.  

• Promoting a Safety Culture: Encouraging the reporting of incidents fosters a culture of safety within the university. It supports vigilance, open communication, and collaboration to continually improve health and safety practices. 

• Insurance and Compensation: Health and safety incidents, particularly those resulting in injury, may lead to insurance claims. Proper incident reporting ensures that all necessary information is available to process claims. 

We all play a part in reporting of incidents and the HSES Department actively support and encourage good reporting via the ISARR system. If you see something the poses a threat of injury or damage, report it here – Incident/Accident Reporting 

There’s lots happening this week including WorldFest events and Kent Students’ Union Lead Kent elections! 

Lead Kent elections: Who do you want to represent you next year? Vote for your Kent Students’ Union Officers this week!  Voting is open Monday 24 Feb from 9:00 until Thursday 27 February at 17:00. You can vote online or in person at one of the polling stations on campus.  

KentVision reminder: The KentVision system will be unavailable from 08:00 on Monday 24 February until 17:00 on Wednesday 26 February due to essential maintenance. You can still view your timetable on the My Kent Student app and website during this time, just not on KentVision. 

Monday 24 February: Finalist planning and Global Food Fest 

In your final year? Join this planning session for Finalists to help you consider how ‘work ready’ you are and what you need to do next.  

Enjoy a Global Food Fest this week from 24-28 February in the Plaza. Explore cuisines including Greek, Moroccan, Caribbean and more! 

Tuesday 25 February: English Club, make a Pride bracelet (Medway) and Food-fluencer talk 

This WorldFest join us for a step into Ukrainian culture and share your own experiences in our English Club with Kherson State University. Meet students and staff from our Ukrainian university twinning partner at our weekly English Club which offers their students a chance to develop their English Language. 

At the Hub, Medway, you can make a Pride bracelet at the LGBTQ+ Crafternoon. All materials provided and everyone is welcome.  

Join us for a panel discussion with the Food Foundation to tackle the question of who is really in charge of what we eat. ‘Food-fluencers: How big brands and the media are manipulating your diet and what can you do about it?’ Our panel of experts will talk about food marketing and how as regulations on junk food marketing change in the UK this October, big businesses may be looking for loopholes. This event is taking place at the Gulbenkian and is open to all.  

Wednesday 26 February: Language taster sessions, Talking Cultures workshop and PG Open Event 

As part of our WorldFest celebrations, you are invited to join a language taster session. Languages include Italian, Spanish, French and German. Look out for more language taster sessions next Wednesday! 

Learn all about intercultural communication at this Talking Cultures WorldFest workshop in Templeman Lecture Theatre. The aim of the workshop is to enhance your understanding of communication behaviours to identify differences and commonalities across cultures.   

Are you interested in postgraduate study? Come along to our Postgraduate Open Event in Sibson to learn more about our PG courses and scholarship and to speak to students and staff.  

Thursday 27 February: Careers in teaching and navigating academia as Black researchers 

Wondering if a career as a teacher is the next step for you? Why not come along to a presentation about the skills teachers use and take time to identify the transferrable skills you already have. You can also book a 30-minute 1-2-1 information meeting with a Teaching Adviser for the Department for Education, to ask your questions about a career in teaching.  

The Black Intellectuals Society, in collaboration with the Graduate and Researcher College, are hosting an event which will feature speakers sharing their journeys, challenges, and insights into navigating academia as Black researchers. 

Friday 28 February: Cooking class and Lead Kent results 

As part of our Worldfest celebrations, Chef Benjamin Elsbury will be showing you how to make from scratch, Rummaniyeh, a naturally vegan dish from the Middle East, so you can get together with friends and share your new culinary skills to re-create at home.  

Find out who has won the Lead Kent Elections and who will representing you next year! Come to the Venue to find out who your next elected officers will be and to celebrate the results with all the candidates. 

See more student events.  

Opportunities 

• Are you an entrepreneur or small business owner looking for a platform to promote your products or services? The ASPIRE pop-up market on 19 March is the perfect opportunity to connect with students, staff, investors, and the ASPIRE community—all at no cost to you!  
• Santander is back with their popular tech prize draw, this time with the chance to win 1 of 10 MacBook Airs! Entries to the prize draw close at 23:00 on 6 March 2025. 
• The Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapy is opening the first charity shop on our Canterbury campus on Saturday 1 March! But, they need your donations to make it happen. They are taking donations of clothing, accessories, books, homeware and more.  

See more student opportunities.