Kent Sport is proud to have been recently shortlisted for Gym Team of The Year 2015 by the National Fitness Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Athena, Leicestershire on Friday 4 December and Kent Sport was represented by Ben Trott – Assistant Director (Operations), and Sarah Black and Mike Burrell – both Health and Fitness Instructors on the Kent Sport Fitness Team.

The National Fitness Awards celebrate the excellent services and achievements across the country shown by Gyms, Individuals and Performers in Fitness. For the Gym Team of the Year award, the judges assess competence in working together as a compatible team and building positive working relationships as a functional and successful group. Communication, effectiveness and ability to deliver quality services to members and each other were the attributes within this category. The Kent Sport Gym Team demonstrate these skills on a daily basis and were proud to be acknowledged and recognised for their hard work.

Ben Trott said of the experience, ‘It is a fantastic achievement to be shortlisted for this award and Kent Sport is very proud to achieve this recognition at a national level, highlighting the core high standards that we expect from our teams of staff. The Kent Sport Gym Team should be very proud of their success in 2015’.

Sarah adds, ‘Every day I am proud to be a part of Kent Sport at the University of Kent and I work with a fantastic group of teachers and instructors. The team offer support, guidance and assistance daily to each other. With or without a trophy we are winners to experience working together on a daily basis and were worthy candidates in this award.’

For more information about Kent Sport visit www.kent.ac.uk/sports and follow @UniKentSports on Facebook and Twitter.

The catering team would like to know your thoughts about the delivered takeaway service on campus – which is called Hut 8 in Turing College.

Please fill out this survey for the chance to win a meal for two in Mungo’s, Origins, Dolche Vita, Hut 8 AND Cargo!

https://kent.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/student-views-on-the-delivered-takeaway-service-from-hut-8

It doesn’t matter if you have never been to Hut 8! It should take less than 5 minutes, and would be greatly appreciated. The closing date is 9 January.

Building upon it growing reputation for encouraging students to start their own business, KBS launched its Business Start-up Journey this week. Over 170 students were in attendance, eager to hear the success stories of award-winning entrepreneurs and to find out more about the innovative new programme.

The Business Start-up Journey, is a step-by-step programme that aims to develop the next generation of new business start-ups. The ‘Journey’ supports students through dedicated training and mentorship from idea generation to the preparation of an investor-ready business plan.

Mentors include established entrepreneurs such as Daniel Rubin, CEO of Dune Group, Paul Dyer, Co-Founder of the Towergate Group and Sebastian Brock of Chattoo app.

The launch of Business Start-up Journey this week brought together Kent Excellence in Business Award (KEIBA) Entrepreneur of the Year award winners Becky Campbell (MD, Reflect Digital) and Bal Sandher (Director, Hectic Lifestyles) together with Michael Muzio (MD, Now4cover), who presented their start-up stories in a lively Q & A session.

Marilia Paraschou (Master’s in Law (LLM) International Law and International Relations) student attended the event and comments:

“I went to the Business Start-up Journey launch as I’m looking to gain the practical skills to set up my own law firm after I finish my studies. I think the Business Start-up Journey is a unique opportunity for students to gain a practical business education idea – I haven’t seen anything similar to this at other universities.”

For questions related to Business Start-up Journey, please contact David Williamson, Director of External Services at D.Williamson@kent.ac.uk or 01227 824855.

The Project 100 Christmas raffle has now closed and Kent Sport would like to thank all participants for raising funds in support of student sport at Kent.

Even a small contribution to Project 100 can make a huge difference for our students who are under great financial pressures. A £20 donation could enhance a student’s experience at the University of Kent with either of the following:

One hours coaching for a group
A full inter college basketball kit
Entry on to NGB officiating courses
A fitness consultation and programme
A personal training session

Kent Sport congratulates all of the prize winners. The list of winners can be found on the Project 100 webpage (https://www.kent.ac.uk/sports/p100). If you would like to donate to Project 100, you can do so online (https://alumni.kent.ac.uk/page.aspx?pid=288).

Sadler’s Wells’ critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, Breakin’ Convention, is back, with performances from UK and international companies and crews. Now in its 13th year, this hugely popular Sadler’s Wells Production is once again hosted and curated by Associate Artist Jonzi D. Following the annual festival at Sadler’s Wells over the May bank holiday (30 April – 2 May 2016), Breakin’ Convention will then tour to eight venues across the UK including Gulbenkian, Canterbury on 28 & 29 May 2016

Incredible offer for students to get two student tickets for the price of one returns in the Spring term starting with Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens on Tuesday 19 January.

http://www.thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/cinema/2016/January/2016-01-star-wars.html

The second, and final, distribution of student tickets for the University Christmas Carol Service at Canterbury Cathedral takes place today (Tues 8 Dec) at 19.00 at Woolf Lecture Theatre. Tickets are free, one per student present with ID. Queues will have formed in advance of the distribution time. The Carol Service is on Monday 14 December at 20.00.

The Winter Ball this Friday 11 December is the first ever collaborated event by the School of European Culture and Languages societies!

It is sure to be a classy event! With live music including 50’s Rock n Roll band JIMMY B AND THE BLOWERS, the University of Kent’s own STEFAN SEVER and a bar serving you cocktails and mocktails, we will be celebrating the winter season in style!

Dress code: formal
Venue: Darwin Conference Suite
Time: 8 till’ late!

Tickets are only £5. Buy them at Mandela or on the Kent Union website page for the following organisers: Kent Classics and Archaeology, Comparative Literature, English Language and Linguistics, French, German, Hispanic, Italian, Religious Studies and Philosophy

Opening times

The Templeman Library will be closed from 17:00 on Wednesday 23 December and reopens at 09:00 on Monday 4 January.