From Lee Fellows | Deputy Director  of Student Services and Head of Student Support & Wellbeing

In September 2021, the University signed up to the Student Mental Health Charter. The Charter Programme brings together universities committed to university mental health to share practice and create cultural change. As part of this programme, the Charter Award, which we intend to apply for in 2023, recognises the promotion of good mental health and practice across all areas of the University.

The award is not just about the wellbeing support we offer students in Divisions and across Student Services but looks at how the university as a whole institution works to improve mental wellbeing across 5 key domains; Learn, Support, Work, Live and Enabling Themes. Each framework area has several themes within it, and as an institution, we will be assessed against each theme for the award.

Within the Learn domain we are beginning to review what wellbeing in the curriculum looks like for the University of Kent. We know that already there will be a variety of interesting and different approaches that Divisions, PSDs and individuals will use and this where we need your help.

To assist us with collating what we already do we would be grateful if you would complete this form letting us know what you do (or would like to do!) within lectures, seminars and outside the classroom environment that promotes wellbeing in the curriculum. We are also asking you to complete this form if you have any ideas on potential University-wide initiatives that we could take on board to incorporate wellbeing into the curriculum. No activity, initiative or idea is too big, small or wrong.

More information on the Mental Health Charter can be found here.  You may also find the AdvanceHE Education for Mental Health Toolkit to be a helpful resource.

You are warmly invited to the REF2021 results presentation which will be delivered by Professor Shane Weller, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, followed by refreshments in the Wolf Foyer. As well as a great opportunity to celebrate achievements, it will be a chance to catch up with colleagues.

Date: 12 May 2022

Time: 11am-1pm

Location: Wolf Lecture Theatre

We would be very grateful if you could confirm your attendance by signing up through the link below:

https://ref2021resultspresentation.eventbrite.co.uk

If you would prefer to join virtually, please email researchexcellence@kent.ac.uk and a Teams link will be sent to you.

We look forward to seeing you.

We’re celebrating the National Day for Staff Networks on Wednesday 11 May and the theme for this year is #ViableVisibleVoices.

Our Staff Equalities Networks provide space for under-represented staff at the University of Kent to feel they can bring their authentic selves to work, to make change with the support of a network behind them, and feel included in their workplace. They are crucial to creating a culture of inclusion across all our campuses.

These are just some of the highlights of their work:

The Disability Staff Network have been working with Estates to improve the accessibility of our buildings by taking Accessibility Tours. These tours aim to give a better understanding of the campus experience for disabled staff and students.

The LGBT+ Staff Network have continued to advocate for the rights and inclusion of trans staff and students here at the University and in the greater communities of Kent and Medway. Co-Chair Lynne Regan has shared her research into the experiences of trans students and shared her findings with Executive Group and the wider community of staff and students at Kent. The network has also re-designed our inclusive lanyards, updating the traditional Pride flag to the Progress Flag, and including a strap with the Trans Inclusion flag.

The BAME Staff network have completed their work on a pivotal report that will inform the University of Kent’s antiracism strategy for years to come. The first of its’ kind, the network surveyed all staff on their thoughts of the culture of the institution and the effectiveness of EDI policies and procedures.

The Women’s Network focus on the professional development and experiences of women who work at the University. They share resources on dealing with menopause while working, and keep their members informed of new policies that might affect them. This year they hosted Professor Jennifer Leigh on International Women’s Day, who gave a talk on Intersectionality, exploring challenges for women in STEM and ableism.

Thank you to all our Staff Networks for their valuable work!

If you’d like to join any of the above Staff Networks, please email equalityanddiversity@kent.ac.uk.

An article by Brenda Brunsdon, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Manager 

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, an initiative organised every year by the Mental Health Foundation. This year’s theme is loneliness.

Loneliness is recognised as a psychological phenomenon which is occurring increasingly in modern society.  However, most people would be shocked to learn that it is a major public health issue which is a factor that leads to premature death.

Research has shown that a person is at the same risk of premature death if they are experiencing stress from loneliness as if they smoke 15 cigarettes a day. Other research has shown that loneliness is a greater predictor of premature death than obesity.

The Covid 19 crisis brought lockdowns and enforced social isolation. Many people are still feeling the effects of this and dealing with more acute, negative feelings of loneliness.

Why does being alone trigger deep negative emotions for human beings?  Humans are intrinsically social animals.  Going back to the roots of human society, being part of the group or the tribe helped guarantee survival against threats.  Being alone was therefore something to be feared.  Feelings of loneliness trigger our fight/flight reaction, which means our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol.  This makes us feel agitated and anxious and can eventually lead to chronic physical health problems and diseases.  Psychologically, perhaps even linked to physiologically, loneliness is akin to feeling hunger or thirst; it stimulates us to rectify a situation which is a threat to our health and safety – in this case, not being part of a group, because there is safety in numbers.

There is evidence to show that living alongside others means that any signs of physical or mental health problems that a person may manifest will be picked up quicker and lead to treatment sooner.  Also, acute medical emergencies, like heart attacks or strokes, can be easily missed when a person lives alone, and this can result in early death.

Loneliness has become such an important public health issue that the Government has produced a strategy to alleviate the problems associated with it.  It uses data produced by the Office of National Statistics to inform policy and action.  Links to information related to both forms of activity can be found below.

We can be alone without being lonely.  It is how we feel about being alone that determines the intensity of the negative or positive reaction.  If we are happy on our own, we don’t perceive it to be dangerous or sad and we don’t trigger the fight/flight response.  If we feel sad about being alone, then it stimulates the stress response.  However, few of us like a completely solitary existence.  Follow the links below to learn more about loneliness and what you can do, if you wish, to feel more connected with others.

Mental Health Awareness Week 09-15 May 2022: Loneliness

Campaign to End Loneliness Website

‘Loneliness’; Royal College of Nursing website

‘Feeling Lonely’; NHS website

‘Loneliness’; MIND website

‘Loneliness Annual Report 2022’ HM Government

‘Loneliness – What characteristics and circumstances are associated with feeling lonely?’ Office of National Statistics

‘7 Types of Loneliness, and Why It Matters’ by Gretchen Rubin on Psychology Today website

‘Feeling Lonely? Discover 18 Ways to Overcome Loneliness’ by Tchiki Davis on Psychology Today website

‘Alone in the crowd – How loneliness affects the mind and body’; Nuffield Health on YouTube

‘Can You Die of Loneliness?’; The Infographics Show on YouTube

‘How to get rid of loneliness and become happy’ by Olivia Remes TED Talk on YouTube

South by South East is an annual festival of creativity held on our Canterbury campus at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre. Over two days (11 & 12 May 2022) the festival combines the opportunity for artists to develop and showcase projects in development, and for audiences to see new and emerging work being made in Kent and Essex.

This year’s line-up includes works of dance, multi-disciplinary work, immersive installations, cabaret and spoken word. It is not just for industry, there are free, outdoor events you can join next week – and tickets available for a number of the performances. So please come along and see what’s new!

Producers of the festival, 1DegreeEast, are bringing the South by South East back to Gulbenkian for its second year. The Festival supports the aim of the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries (iCCi) to position the University as a key player in the development of the arts in Kent.

Find out more by visiting the Gulbenkian Arts Centre website.

Here’s just some of the things that you can enjoy during the week:

Wednesday 11 May

• Fish out of Water – 12.15 – on the Registry lawn  (free & no ticket required)

Fish Out Of Water is a fresh, multi-disciplinary outdoor dance performance, which explores themes of belonging, otherness, displacement, and migrancy.

•  Boogie Booth – 1.30 – on the Registry lawn  (free & no ticket required)

Boogie Booth is a live performance and dance experience. Visitors will meet our resident BoogieBoothers, Karl & Faith, who will take you on a spectacular tour through the world of dance from Jazz, Hip-Hop, to Roma dancing, all within the magical Boogie Booth.

• Speaking out & Fitting In! – 3.30 – at the Gulbenkian (£5 per ticket)

“Speaking Out and Fitting In” is a solo show in dynamic poetry and beguiling prose, with flashes of cabaret and aerial burlesque, in which Alice d’Lumiere playfully explores the wonderful, if occasionally counter-intuitive, position of the gender-fluid individual striving to both fit in to another gender whilst yearning to establish a unique, personal voice for themselves.

Thursday 12 May

• Simorgh Soup – Barking Trees – 2:45 – at the Gulbenkian Theatre, free but ticketed

A wild new dance theatre production exploring Spinoza’s ethics and our relationship to nature and technology

• Finding an Audience Online – 4.45 – at the Gulbenkian Theatre (£5 per ticket)

Comedian and creator of the internet sensation The Room Next Door, Michael Spicer joins broadcaster and writer Katie Puckrik to talk about making comedy under the radar for over twenty years before using social media to make the breakthrough.

• 11 & 12 May – In Her Shoes Exhibition – at the Colyer-Fergusson Foyer (free & no ticket required)

In Her Shoes is an immersive installation experience exploring the concepts of identity, stereotypes, and relationship to home. Your 20-minute adventure begins as you step inside a shoe shop built for one.

Let us know how we can shape our services to suit your health and wellbeing needs.

We all know that there are many physical and mental benefits to leading an active lifestyle. We also know that for some, there are barriers that can prevent us from being active.

Kent Sport is keen to understand the barriers to exercise for students and staff on campus, and how we can improve our service to allow more of our audience to get active.

The Kent Sport Health and Wellbeing survey is online, and accessible for desktop, tablet, and mobile users. There are only 15 questions, and it should take between 5-10 minutes to complete.

By filling out the online survey, two lucky winners will each win a £75 Amazon voucher. Simply enter your Kent email address at the end of the survey to be entered into the prize draw (one entry per person).

The survey is open now until 5pm on 13 June 2022, with winners of the Amazon vouchers being announced on 14 June.

Complete the survey online or email us at sportsenquiries@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions.

We want to make some changes to the way we do food on campus, but we need your help.

If you know your pad thai from your panini, then we want to hear from you!

Help shape the future of food at the University of Kent and earn £20 credit on your KentOne Card by taking part in one of our focus groups.

Register your interest today by visiting the UniKentFood website.

Michael Crick, University Council Member, volunteered his time to help at the March graduation celebrations and enjoyed it so much he has done so again this month.

In this message he encourages his fellow Kent staff to join the celebrations for our 2021 graduates in Rochester Cathedral on 11 May, and Canterbury Cathedral from 16 – 20 May. You can sign up online here or email congregations@kent.ac.uk.

I became a lay member of the council of the university last autumn, but during my first few months on the council it was difficult to get a proper feel for the university because of Covid restrictions.

Then I saw an appeal in the email news bulletin for volunteers to help out on graduation days.  “Why not?” I thought.  I’ll do one day in each of the four sessions in 2022, and it will be great way to meet recent students, their families, and members of staff, and to immerse myself in what the university is all about.

I did two ceremonies one day in Canterbury a couple of weeks ago.  I loved it.  I was kitted out in a blue and gold gown (strictly it should only have been blue only.)  I helped with laying the programmes on the seats and in guiding people to their places, but then I was asked to hand out the graduation certificates.

I was in my element.  As each new graduate walked past I gave them a big smile to catch their eye, and then handed over the certificate whispering a few words, trying to vary what I said each time, or making a joke of it, say, when someone got an especially loud cheer from their friends.  I was meeting people for only for 2-3 seconds, but it felt like making friends for life – almost 400 in one day!

There was also plenty of time both before and after the formal ceremony to speak to people about what they thought of the university and the course they’d studied.  I’m actually quite a shy person, but as a TV reporter I’ve learnt how to seize the moment and go up to strangers, introduce myself and chat to them (and the blue and gold gown helped on this occasion).  One trick outside on the lawn was to approach a group taking photos of themselves, and offer to take a photo of all of them altogether.  They almost always accepted – it broke the ice and the conversation flowed.

My abiding memory is the sheer joy of the occasion.  This was one of the exciting, memorable days of these new graduates’ lives, taking part in a great historic setting, the culmination of several years hard work.  Now for one day free of work and pressure, they were joined by their proud parents, families and friends.  It was great to take part in that, to share their happiness and sense of achievement, to watch young men and women setting off on their careers and new lives.

I can’t wait to do it again, and I strongly recommend to all university staff and also my fellow council members, that they volunteer for a ceremony or two.