Most of us will make a New Year’s resolution – maybe to lose weight, quit
smoking or drink less. One of the top resolutions is to get fit but how do
you go about getting in shape for 2019?

Here are some tips to help you:

• Walking – Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose
  weight and become healthier. Think of ways to include walking into your daily routine,
  such as walking part or all of your journey to college, using the stairs instead of the lift,
  or leaving the car behind for short journeys.
• Cycling – Cycling is a low-impact type of exercise, so it’s not as hard on your joints as
  running or other high-impact aerobic activities, but it still helps you get into shape.
  You’ll burn lots of calories and get leaner, more powerful legs.
• Running – Running is free, you can do it anywhere, and it burns more calories than any
  other mainstream exercise. If you enjoy regular walks, consider ramping them up a bit
  into jogging. Start slow and increase your pace and distance gradually.
• Dancing – Whether you like to jump, jive, tap, tango or shake your hips, dancing is one
  of the most enjoyable ways to get moving. There are lots of dance styles you can try
  including street dance, Ceroc, salsa, tap, ballroom, Zumba, Bollywood, jazz, flamenco,
  and cheerleading.
• Fitness classes – If you have trouble keeping to a routine, or you just want to get
  active under the guidance of an instructor, sign up for a regular exercise class that’ll
  get you moving in a structured environment. You could try aerobics, Zumba, yoga or
  pilates.
• Team sports – If you’re more competitive, think about playing a physical game as part
  of a team. You don’t have to be an expert to play informally at the park with friends, or
  why not join a regular sport session of your choice. If you like traditional and team
  sports, consider basketball, netball, football, badminton or tennis.

The University of Kent Wellbeing Zone is a free tool to help you learn more about all aspects of wellbeing and you can use it to better manage your own health and wellbeing.

Logon today at www.kent.wellbeingzone.co.uk
Or create an account by clicking ‘Register’ and using the following organisation Code : KENT1

The Centre for English and World Languages is offering Kent staff the chance to do a ten-week Language Express Spanish course for £81 –half the normal fees.

The course starts on Thursday 24 January from 18.00-20.00 on the Canterbury campus.

Hurry, as you will need to book your place by 17.00 on Monday 21 January!

Find out more about the course on the CEWL webpages.

For more information, and to book your place at the discounted rate, please email languageexpress@kent.ac.uk

We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Dr Mike Walkey, Director of DICE from 1991 and a colleague, friend and mentor to many of us.

Mike came to the University of Kent from Queen Mary College, London and played an incredibly important role in establishing DICE, helping it grow from its early beginnings and leading on the creation of the conservation undergraduate programme. He also led a number of important research projects focusing on freshwater and marine conservation around the world.

After his retirement in 2002, Mike maintained close links with the School, and particularly enjoyed working with students on the annual field trip to the Peruvian Amazon. We will miss Mike’s unflappable nature and can-do attitude, accompanied by a twinkle in the eye whenever the outside world was being more absurd than usual. His knowledge, wisdom and kindness helped support a whole generation of DICE students and will remain one of his most important legacies.

Dr Bob Smith, Director of DICE

Mike’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 29 January at Barham Crematorium, CT4 6QU. No flowers please. A memorial service at the University will be held at a later date.

Do you enjoy a challenge and an adventure? Are you looking for something to make your 2019 one to remember? The University of Kent is looking to find up to 10 Peace Riders to cycle from the University of Kent on 23 March 2019 to the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.The Peace Ride is part of a series of events raising awareness and funding for the Children’s Football Alliance and their Slum Soccer programme in India.

The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is a war memorial dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The Peace Ride was launched in November last year at a unique commemorative event to twin Kent Sports football pitches with the Flanders Peace Field in Belgium, attended by University of Kent Vice-Chancellor Karen Cox and Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield. For more information about the commemoration event visit our Facebook album.

The cycle challenge will see a staff and student team of riders leave the University early on the Saturday morning and head for the Kent coast, enjoying a rest while crossing the channel, before getting back in the saddle to ride to Ypres. The fully supported ride includes all travel logistics, accommodation as well as an invitation to the Peace Village dinner and celebrations on Saturday evening.  Participants will return on Sunday 24 March by supported transport back to the University, having made a significant contribution to the charities cause.

If you are interested in this challenge and motivated to fundraise, you can find out more about the Peace Ride by contacting Oli Prior at Kent Sport via o.prior@kent.ac.uk for more information and visiting the Children’s Football Alliance website.

In the latest episode of the Nostalgia podcast series, Dr Chris Deacy, Reader in Theology and Religious Studies in the Department of Religious Studies, interviews Professor Mark Connelly from the School of History.

Mark and Chris cover everything from reading Ladybird History books as a child; enjoying Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’; encountering Chesney Hawkes on a plane; having a soft spot for Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion; reading History at university; supporting West Ham Football Club and being a huge radio fan. Mark also talks about how he was the only pupil at his school to take O Level Religious Education.

Chris’ next interview as part of this series, to be released on Friday 25 January, will be with the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox.

Future interviewees include Clive Marsh (Head of the Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Leicester), Dr Francis Stewart (teaches Religious Studies at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln), Jeremy Scott (Senior Lecturer in English Language & Linguistics), Professor April McMahon (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education), and Professor Philippe De Wilde (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation) Chris also speaks to one of SECL’s former students, Abi Hawkins, now Head of RE at Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School in Canterbury.

The incorrect date was printed in the University diary 2018/19 for the July Congregation ceremonies in Rochester. The correct date is Tuesday 9 July 2019. Please amend your diaries accordingly.

You can view the dates for future ceremonies online which we update as dates and times are confirmed.

Colleagues are invited to attend the Learning & Teaching Network session taking place on Wednesday 30 January, from 13:15-14:30 in the UELT Seminar Room, Canterbury.

Presented by Rebecca Coleman (EAP Tutor, Centre for English and World Languages) the workshop looks at intelligibility support for international staff.  We aim to highlight the importance of these staff members being clearly understood in the Higher Education classroom and present common issues that they may face. There will be the opportunity to discuss intelligibly issues that you have encountered and individually and in groups look at ways of improving them. Further support offered by the Centre of English and World Languages (CEWL) in this domain with be mentioned at the end of the session.

Please confirm your attendance by completing the online booking form.

Dr David Walsh, Lecturer in the Department of Classical & Archaeological studies, has just published a new article in the ‘Journal of Late Antiquity’, in which he argues that the remains of one of the supposedly oldest churches in Britain was actually a temple to Mithras.

In recent decades, archaeologists in regions such as Germany, Italy, and France have developed an increasingly robust approach to the identification of early churches and thus dismissed a number of formerly misidentified examples in the process. In Britain, however, various supposed ‘churches’ discovered in the twentieth century continue to be referred to as such despite a lack of strong evidence to substantiate this. One such example is a structure found at Butt Road, Colchester. In this article, the issues surrounding the interpretation of this building as a church are revisited and enhanced, while it is illustrated why other interpretations, such as a ‘pagan funerary banqueting hall’, are also unlikely.

David has also just released a new episode of his podcast available now to stream via iTunes and Spotify.

David’s guest this week is SECL graduate Becky Newson, who graduated in 2009 with a BA in Classical & Archaeological Studies and Drama. Becky joins David to discuss her six years working as a tour guide in Rome, how she ended up in this role, how she preps for tours, and her advice for anyone visiting Rome. She also chats about getting used to the Roman way of life (and adjusting when she visits home), #Rome on Instagram, and how the extras on the DVD of The Mummy led her to study Ancient History at Kent!

The University has re-committed to the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement’s manifesto for Public Engagement as part of its ten-year anniversary programme celebrating the organisation’s progress in leading engagement support across the higher education sector.

Our re-commitment to the manifesto is testament to our institutional passion for engagement in all of its forms through our research and teaching practice, in the context of our renewed emphasis on engagement, impact and civic mission.

The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) continues to work with Kent on its plans to develop the infrastructure and support mechanisms to enable staff and students to engage with the public.

Last year, the NCCPE worked with us to develop and deliver a survey on the infrastructure around engagement with research and on our current activities. It shone a light on our strengths in engagement with research: in our schools partnerships, engagement with policy makers on our research, and colleagues’ breadth of knowledge and expertise in engagement practice.

We will now be working with groups across the University to look at the opportunities to strengthen support and activity further.

Please contact Maddy Bell, Research Impact and Public Engagement Manager at m.r.bell@kent.ac.uk with any questions or comments.