Last night the Government announced additional guidance taking effect across the country to help slow the spread of the new omicron Coronavirus variant. We have also subsequently received more specific information for Universities from the Department for Education on what this means for teaching for the rest of the year. In brief the guidance is that ‘providers should continue to deliver face-to-face teaching and staff can continue to attend work as necessary to deliver this. For other staff, there is a recommendation to work from home if possible’. 

In line with both of these updates, with the exception of staff involved in the delivery and support of teaching and direct student services, everyone who can do so should return to working from home from Monday 13 December until further notice.  As per the specific university guidance, all timetabled face-to-face teaching will continue until the end of term, with staff working from home outside of any in-person sessions. Essential campus support services such as security or mental health support will also continue in person under local team agreements.  

Christmas parties and on-campus activities 

Any non-essential on-campus meetings or gatherings should also be avoided where possible – many of these have already moved online or been postponed so do consider what is best based on what you have due to take place. I also appreciate that many of you will have planned off-site Christmas meet-ups before the end of term; bars and restaurants remain open as before so there is no need to cancel these, but again I’d ask you to consider what the best format is and how you can make these as safe as possible.  

I know this will be disappointing news and that lots of us have enjoyed returning to campus in recent months. This will also be a worrying time for many, particularly those who have a continued need to be on campus. I can only thank you for your continued assistance in supporting the national effort to keep each other safe and avoid further Covid restrictions in the future – as ever, the safety of our students, staff and wider community is our number one priority throughout. 

While cases regionally have been rising, those linked to the University remain low thanks to a combined effort across our community. We also have a number of additional health and safety measures in place. 

Face Coverings 

Everyone on campus is now expected to wear face coverings in all teaching spaces and communal areas, unless they have a medical exemption. Face coverings should also be worn in shared offices and other indoor spaces where social distancing can not be maintained. These are available free of charge from any student reception desk. 

Testing and Vaccines 

Regular testing remains key to keeping everyone safe, and those still coming onto campus should continue to take a Covid lateral flow test at least twice a week and report your results to the NHS online. You can get walk-in tests or pick up take-home kits from the Old Bank on our Canterbury campus or the Old Sports Hall at Medway, or order them online.  If you have symptoms or if you do test positive, you must self-isolate for 10 days from the day your symptoms started and get a PCR test as quickly as possible. Positive tests should also be reported to the University by letting your line manager know and via covidsupport@kent.ac.uk.  

Vaccinations remain a critical part of stopping the spread of the virus – everyone who qualifies for a booster jab is strongly encouraged to get one if they can. 

Ongoing support 

As always, if you have any questions or need further support, please email covidsupport@kent.ac.uk. You can also get free, confidential advice at any time via our Employee Assistance Programme. 

I know the continued impact of Covid-19 has made this a difficult year for all of us and that these additional changes late in the year will be disruptive – however, taking these additional steps should help all of us make the most the festive period and hopefully support wider efforts to return to normality as quickly as possible. 

The measures are due to be reviewed on Wednesday 5 January, so I will update again on where things stand after the Christmas break. 

With all best wishes,  

Richard 

Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education & Student Experience

From Brenda Brunsdon, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager

The winter can be a difficult time for us human beings. Short days and long nights mean that we have less time in the daylight. This is made worse by the weather being cold so we’re not so inclined to venture out or spend time outside. Being out in the daylight is known to boost our mood and help us fend off depressive thoughts by stimulating our bodies to produce serotonin, one of our ‘happy chemicals’. Sunlight also helps boost the production of melatonin which helps us with sleep quality.

And then there’s Christmas. A winter festival that should help us relax, enjoy ourselves and have a positive effect on our wellbeing. And hopefully, that is what Christmas will be like for you this year. However, it also means a time when people spend too much money and party too hard. The intense atmosphere can give rise to arguments with family and partners; divorce solicitors know they will experience a spike in enquiries almost as soon as their services are open for business after the festivities.

Professionals working in the field of domestic violence acknowledge that Christmas is a particularly difficult time for those living in abusive relationships as the extended periods spent within the family can lead to more opportunity for aggression and cruelty. In addition, those with no family or friends to celebrate with can find themselves being overwhelmed by feelings of loneliness, longing for someone to talk to.

Our Employee Assistance Programme

If you find yourself affected by any of the issues outlined above, you should know that University staff can access support 24 hours a day through our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This scheme is managed by Sodexho/Care first and provides easy access to expert help with both workplace and personal issues. You can phone Care first/Sodexho, free of charge, on  0808 168 2143 and get free and confidential advice from an information specialist or accredited counsellor.

You may prefer to access services through the Care first website. To log-in, use the username: uokent and the password: university. The website contains information on a host of subjects relevant to how we live our lives and the challenges we face. There is even an AI interaction available for those who are drawn to technology.

The EAP is not just for Christmas and New Year; it’s there any time you need help; contact details are exactly the same. Please, keep this information handy so it is there if you need it.

Brenda Brunsdon | Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager

Due to ongoing Covid restrictions, we are anticipating a larger than usual number of students remaining on campus over the winter vacation.

Many of these students were planning to spend the vacation away from campus and they will now need to extend their food budgets for a month longer than planned. Some students may also experience situational hunger or insecurity, while this period may cause others to demonstrate chronic hunger or insecurity and a need for continued support. Our on-campus Foodbank provides short-term support to students who find themselves in need of supplemental food.

Regardless of circumstances, no student should have to choose between food and other basic needs. Over this period, Kent Union will be making special arrangements to provide this service to students in need – but they need your help! Volunteers will organise, run and distribute the food to students in need – they need donations in order to do so!

What to donate

Anything! Apart from alcohol.

It must be:

• in date,
• unopened
• not need to be refrigerated

Major needs

• Breakfast items such as cereals/porridge
• Pasta sauce jars
• Sweets, crisps and chocolates
• Pasta
• Rice
• Noodles

Christmas Bonus!

While these items are welcome all year, sharing something as a treat would be very welcome:

• Toiletries
• Chocolate
• Sweets
• Crisps

How to donate

Permanent Foodbank donation points are located at the Kent Union Reception in the Mandela Student Centre, Keynes Atrium, Plaza Co-op and Parkwood Co-op. Please drop your donation into the easiest location for you.

Thank you for donating. The difference this makes to individuals cannot be underestimated. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the volunteers for all the work they are doing to provide this service through the vacation.

Find out more

Find out more about the Foodbank, what you can donate, where and when on Kent Union’s website.

The Marsh family are back again with a new song, this time singing and swinging for a leading men’s health charity.

Teaming up with Prostate Cancer UK, Ben, Danielle and their four children Alfie, 15, Thomas, 13, Ella, 12, and Tess, 9 have released a song that they hope ‘will raise awareness of a disease that will affect 1 in 8 men in our lifetime’.

A sparkling new video of their adapted version of the swing classic ‘Mack the Knife’ was launched this week (on 6 December). You can view it now on YouTube (or see link below). 

Titled, ‘Mack the Knife’ (prostate cancer – facts of life)’, the lyrics written by Ben have been adapted to feature some facts about Prostate Cancer.

This single is particularly poignant as it comes after Danielle’s father, John Burn, was diagnosed with the disease in 2018.

In a Kent Online article, Danielle says: ‘We were so lucky with my dad but even he nearly left his concerns too late. We hope the lyrics will make people smile but also make them start discussions with loved ones about actions that they may need to take.’

The Marsh family will be donating all profits from downloads of this song to Prostate Cancer UK.

Kent Hospitality has launched a new survey, aiming to hear about student, staff and visitors’ experiences at their catering outlets on the Canterbury campus.

The survey, which asks questions about value for money, customer service and food/drink quality, gives customers a chance to provide feedback after each visit.

Customers who leave feedback are entered into a monthly prize draw to win a £20 catering voucher to spend on campus, and each month presents a new opportunity to enter into the prize draw! The feedback received will help Kent Hospitality to maintain and improve their services.

The participating catering outlets are: Bag It, Create, Dolche Vita, Gulbenkian Café, Hut 8, K-Bar, Mungo’s, Origins, Rutherford Dining Hall, Sibson Café, Sports Café and The Street Kitchen.

Have you visited one of Kent Hospitality’s catering outlets recently? Leave feedback on the survey.

Our new Kent Rainbow Lanyard celebrates and promotes our work around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Wearing one shows your commitment to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all of our LGBTQ+ staff and students. It also shows LGBTQ+ people that they can ‘bring their whole selves’ to you without fear of judgement or an unsupportive reaction.

Designed by our LGBTQ+ Staff Network, and based on the Inclusion Flag, the Kent Rainbow Lanyard is a symbol that you are aware of the hardships marginalised members of the community have faced and continue to face, and that you are committed to supporting our LGBTQ+ staff and students by being a friend, advocate and a safe space, otherwise known as an Ally.

Designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018, the Inclusion Flag includes pink, blue, black and brown chevron stipes alongside the rainbow flag to represent the trans community and people of colour within the LGBTQ+ community and places a greater emphasis on inclusion and progression than previous iterations. There are three different types of Rainbow Lanyard available – one for staff, one for students, and one for Student Ambassadors. The lanyards are available in most outlets and reception desks across our Canterbury and Medway sites.

Being an Ally

We know that being an Ally is not always easy, and like any skill it takes practice, awareness and education, which is why we have developed resource pages to help support anyone who wants to enhance their Allyship knowledge and skills. We would encourage anyone wearing a lanyard to explore these resources and self-educate to ensure that they feel confident in their allyship abilities.

Wearing a lanyard and displaying symbols of Pride at our sites is an important way to remind our LGBTQ+ staff and students that they belong here in our community, and should always feel safe, supported, and able to bring their whole selves to work and study with us.

Wear yours with Pride!

Becky Lamyman | Student EDI Officer

Marketing, Outreach, Recruitment and Admissions (MORA) are excited to announce the launch of a brand-new cinema advert, hitting big screens very soon.

Filmed in October, the new advert captures hyper-real scenes from across the Kent student experience and wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of MORA staff and colleagues and students across the Divisions. The advert forms a key part of our undergraduate recruitment strategy for 2022.

Here’s a sneak peek of the video:

We’ll be promoting the video across our social media on Thursday 9 December.

The advert can be seen across Sky Ad Smart from 29 November and in cinemas from 17 December before the new ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ film.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to:

• Academic, professional services and technical support staff in Psychology, CEMS, Law, ASPIRE and MORA
• Estates for arranging collection and return of a mannequin leant to us by M&S!
• IS support
• Gulbenkian Arts Centre
• Chatham Historic Dockyard
• All the University of Kent students who took part in filming

Congratulations to Medway Security Guard Toby Owen (age 26), recently took part in The Men’s Physic Championships held in Maidenhead, where he became the new British Champion whilst also achieving his Pro Athlete card, both significant in their own right.

This natural competition celebrates the hard work and determination competitors put into achieving the very best for their body.

Toby puts his win down to hard work, complete discipline and persistence to attain the best possible results.

Toby not only has this mind-set with his sport but mirrors this in his work ethic as well. He is wished the very best for future competitions.