In the run up to the start of the Lambeth Conference, our LGBT+ Staff Network have organised a special event exploring the intersection between sexuality and religion on Wednesday 27 July. 

The Lambeth Conference will see senior figures from across the worldwide Anglican Communion coming together for prayer, reflection, fellowship and dialogue. The Church has attracted criticism ahead of the Conference over the place of LGBT+ people within it and we are clear that their views on equal marriage in particular do not fit with our own values as a University. However, our aim throughout the conference is to facilitate debate and discussion where we can in the interest of positive progress. 

Speakers at the Staff Network event include UoW Trinity St David lecturer Dr Angus M Slater, who will discuss LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Church in Wales, and General Synod Member Jayne Ozanne, a former member of the UK Government LGBT Advisory Panel and Director of the Ozanne Foundation which works with religious organisations around the world to eliminate discrimination based on sexuality or gender. 

Following the talks, there will be a panel discussion including staff and students from the University, followed by a networking and social event. Rainbows in Religion takes place from 2 – 5pm at Marlowe Lecture Theatre. Spaces for the Symposium are limited to please register via EventBrite if you want to attend! 

All staff and students are also invited to walk with their LGBT+ colleagues at the Lambeth Walk ahead of the event, which is a chance to tell the world that people of all gender identities and sexualities are welcome and part of the Kent community. Meet at the Registry Lawns (by the Gulbenkian Theatre on the Canterbury campus) from 1pm. 

Did you know? The LGBTQ+ Staff Network recently launched our Researching the Rainbow podcast, which explores LGBTQIA+ research taking place across the University and beyond. 

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Due to the popularity of the event, an additional date has been scheduled for the In-person workshop “Evidencing impact”.

When:

Tuesday 23rd August, from 14.00 – 16.00

Where:

Tuesday 23rd August, from 14:00 – 16:00

Book in early to secure your place – to do this visit the Evidencing Impact website.

Getting the pieces right

This workshop provides you with the tools to understand how to evidence impact. We will discuss what does and doesn’t work for different types of impact and what pieces should be part of a good evidence parcel. We will learn how to obtain strong testimonies, and we will have a hands-on breakout session where we work together to identify strong evidence pieces.

Speakers:

Dr Ann Kinzer, REF Impact Officer –  What is good evidence for impact and how can I obtain strong testimonies?

Claire Perera, Research and Policy Support Officer – Interactive Breakout Session: Selecting strong evidence pieces and curating evidence.

Following the success of last year’s virtual event, we are excited to announce that preparations are well underway for this year’s Staff Conference. We have received some wonderful contributions, so thank you to everyone who has submitted their ideas.

The Conference will take place on campus from 15-16 September 2022 with the theme ‘Building our University Community’. On the Friday afternoon, the event will close with an all-staff barbecue, and we hope it will top off two days spent celebrating our learning and enhancing our connections with one another.

Over the two days, we are planning numerous activities, both informative and informal. These might include:

• Seminars about projects, initiatives and activities across the University
• Talks on what it is like to work at Kent
• Discussions and workshops on important topics such as wellbeing and support
• Informal events which you can take part in, either individually or as a team
• Demonstrations or tours of facilities

The Conference allows us to mark the start of the academic year together, providing opportunities to learn about each other’s work and giving us a chance to reflect on how we all – whether academic, professional services, technical staff, or otherwise – contribute to achieving the University’s ambitions.

We look forward to seeing you there!

From Brenda Brunsdon |Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager

We are going through a sustained period of very hot weather and the Met Office issued its first ever red warning for extreme heat last month. Such high temperatures present a challenge to our health and wellbeing. In addition to sun care awareness, it’s important to know the signs of when the heat or sun exposure can affect someone to the extent that they can become ill and be aware of what one can do to prevent becoming overheated in the first place.

OH issues advice on sun exposure every year. We refer people to the advice given by the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) and the NHS. BAD offers advice based on an easy to remember SOS theme: Save Our Skin:

• Slip On a Shirt
• Seek Out Shade
• Slap On Sunscreen

Accessing their website below provides additional information on sunscreen, skin advice for skin of colour, sun protection advice for children and babies, a Vitamin D factsheet and sun awareness leaflets.

The NHS also offers comprehensive advice on how to keep yourself safe in the sun; the link to their website is also below.

What can you do you do to stay safe in the heat? The UK Health Security Agency have the following advice:

• stay cool indoors by closing curtains on rooms that face the sun – and remember that it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
• drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol
• never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals
• check that fridges, freezers and fans are working properly
• try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm, when the UV rays are strongest
• walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat, if you have to go out in the heat
• avoid physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day
• make sure you take water with you if you are travelling

When a person does get too hot, it can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is the lower level condition which can progress to heat stroke. Both can occur when a person’s body overheats to the extent that its natural temperature control mechanisms fail to cope. When this happens, the affected person feels unwell, lacking in energy, and is usually dizzy and nauseous. They could develop cramp in their limbs or in their stomach. Signs you can observe for heat/sun stroke are a person having clammy, very sweaty, pale skin, and they often have a faster pulse than normal, sometimes exceeding 100 beats per minute.

Some sectors of the community are more susceptible to developing heat exhaustion/stroke: babies and toddlers; the elderly; people who are physically active through work or exercise; people with chronic, debilitating illnesses.

The NHS advice on immediate treatment for helping someone with heat exhaustion is:

1. Move them to a cool place.
2. Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.
3. Get them to drink plenty of water. Sports or rehydration drinks are OK.
4. Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good, too
5. Stay with them until they’re better.

They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

They also give advice on when you should consider reaching out for assistance by ringing 999, either because the situation is the same after 30 minutes or because the person’s symptoms are so debilitating that you suspect heat stroke; follow the NHS link below to read more.

For those of us who are able and where it fits in with the demands of our role, the University has said we currently have the flexibility to work from home if this provides us with a cooler work environment. However, not all members of the University workforce are able to do that. Cleaners and maintenance and grounds staff have to work as usual. They and their managers need to be more aware of the possibility of heat/sun stroke.

‘Heatwave: National emergency declared after UK’s first red extreme heat warning’ on bbc.co.uk

British Association of Dermatologists’ Sun Awareness website

‘How to Stay Safe in the Sun’ on the British Skin Foundation website

‘Staying Safe in Extreme Heat’ by Agostinho Moreira Sousa on ukhsa.blog.gov.uk

Heat Exhaustion and Sun Stroke on NHS website

‘Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke’ by Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE on the patient.info website

‘Signs of Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke’ by CBS Los Angeles on YouTube

‘How to Identify and Treat Heat Stroke’ by BBC Earth Lab on YouTube (very good demonstration of simple First Aid treatments for heat exhaustion)

‘How to Treat Heat Stroke – Signs and Symptom’s by St John’s Ambulance on YouTube

As temperatures today could hit record numbers, make sure you take precautions and look after yourself during the heatwave.

Whether you’re working from home or on campus, here are a few tips on how to take care of yourself:

Tips to say cool and well

1. Keep your windows closed so you don’t let the hot air inside. Only open your windows first thing in the morning or late at night once the temperature has dropped
2. Keep blinds and curtains closed to stop heat from the sun warming up your home or office
3. Use a fan – if you’re on campus contact the Estates team to see if you can borrow one
4. If you’re on campus and are too hot in your office, you could visit an air-conditioned area of campus (see locations below)
5. Keep hydrated (see water refill locations below)

Where are the coolest spots on campus?

The following buildings on our campuses have areas of air conditioning:

Canterbury campus

• Templeman Library
• Sports Centre

Computer rooms on campus are also generally air conditioned.

Medway campus

• Gillingham building
• Medway building
• Medway Park
• The Engineering Workshop (Dockyard)
• Drilling Shed (Dockyard)

Computer rooms on campus are also generally air conditioned.

Where can I refill my water bottle on campus?

Locations behind the counter – ask colleagues who will happily fill your water bottle for you

• Create Café (Marlowe Building)
• K-Bar (Keynes College)
• Origins Bar & Grill (Darwin College)
• Gulbenkian

Open access locations

• Sibson Café (Sibson Building) – designated water station next to coffee machine
• Rutherford Dining Hall (Rutherford College) – designated water station in open fridge in the dining area
• Dolche Vita (Keynes College) – designated water tap in dining area
• Oasis Lounge in Rochester building – tap
• The Hook Lounge in Clocktower building- tap

NHS advice

The NHS provides advice for how to cope during the hot weather and signs of heat related illnesses to watch out more.