To mark Pride Month, LGBTQ+ staff and student networks at University of Kent posed the question ‘Why is Pride important to you?’ Along with their answers, members submitted pictures that made them think of pride. These pictures have been turned into the eye-catching Pride Collage above.

Why is Pride important to you?

“Pride is important to be because it makes me feel visible, included, and part of something bigger”

“The LGBT+ community is one of the most diverse, all-embracing, inclusive communities on the planet. The + is very important. The ability to self-define and still be accepted is a fundamental part of this community, which is what makes it so very special. And it’s not just about who’s allowed in; it’s about the support once you arrive. We look after each other, support each other, and use discrimination against us as fuel to support other minoritised groups”

“Pride Month is when I feel closest to my community. Wherever I am, knowing that the core nature of this community is to protect its own and speak its truth gives me a sense of balance and belonging”

“Pride comes in many different colours, and the LGBT+ community covers many different communities, some more marginalized than others”

“I am not proud because I am gay – I was born gay; I’m proud because I’m not afraid any more”

“When I think of Pride, the first word that comes to me is ‘freedom’. Freedom of being who I am, how I look like and what I wear, what I believe in, and who I love. Unfortunately too many people around the world still don’t have such freedoms, so having a month to celebrate and reflect on the meaning of Pride is still very important, even in 2021”

“Pride is important to me because for the other 364 days of the year, I find it hard to be proud”

“As an ally, Pride to me is a reminder of my privilege and that the rights of LGBT+ friends, family and colleagues are far from being won. Pride to me is an ongoing effort to make sure I do all I can to recognise and fight against inequality and to call out injustice, standing side by side with the LGBT+ community with respect and friendship”

“Pride to me never used to mean much, apart from a nice day out and lots of rainbows. That was before I was out as a pansexual/queer person. Now, on the other hand, pride is so incredibly important to me. It is important because it is genuinely the ONLY time and place where I can hold my partner’s hand and not feel worried about harassment and stares. It is the ONLY place where I can feel like I am ‘normal’ and a part of the majority, and nobody will judge me. I don’t think anyone can really understand this without experiencing years of ‘coming out’ in every possible social situation. It also makes me so happy to see younger generations at Pride festivals and in Pride month just being visible and being who they are, in a way that was never possible when I was that age. I enjoy being a role model and making sure that generations to come can feel proud to be who they are and know that they are not alone”

“For me, Pride is a time to reflect on the progress we’ve made thanks to the work of queer heroes, and recognise that there’s still so much to do. I don’t always feel comfortable expressing who I am, but Pride allows me to celebrate – even if it is in very small ways!”

“To me, Pride is radical. It is self-acceptance; it is rejecting the voices that define you as ‘less than’. It is a celebration AND a fight… and there are still lots to fight for. We can only be proud if we stand with and for one another.”

For more information about the LGBTQ+ community at Kent visit the LGBTQ+ webpages.

BounceBack is a new online festival celebrating the fantastic creativity of young people across Kent, showcasing new work created over the past 12 months.

Each day of the festival (24-27 June), new performances and discussions will be released for free on Youtube or Instagram and remain available for 3 days. So audiences can enjoy the festival unfold in real time, watch again, or catch up later across the 4 day event.

On Saturday 26 June, BounceBack will be coming live from the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, with a number of live-streamed events and discussions across the day – a chance to meet and hear from the talented BounceBack artists themselves.

BounceBack has been developed by a group of young creatives, ART31 Generate, based at Gulbenkian. Following a call out in April, young artists and performers across the county responded with an amazing, diverse mix of music, drama, dance, comedy and visual arts reflected in the final festival programme.

Details of BounceBack and links to all the events can be found on the Gulbenkian website

ART31 is run by iCCi at the University of Kent and supported by Arts Council England and Kent County Council.

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

As you will have heard, the Government announced last night that the final stage of lockdown easing will not take place until at least 19 July 2021. This means that current coronavirus rules will remain for a further four weeks from 21 June.

While not the news we wanted to hear, we all need to continue to play our part by following Government guidelines throughout what we all hope will be the final stage of the current restrictions; thanks again to all of you for your continued cooperation in this.

Staff Return to Campus

The delayed date means that our roadmap for return to campus has changed and staff who are able to work at home should continue to do so until 19 July.

Do remember that while many will still need to work from home for now, our campuses are open with all social-distancing measures in place – if you want to come in to meet a friend or colleague and see our campuses in the sun, then please do so.

Get Tested for Covid-19

The current enhanced Covid-19 testing period led by Public Health England and Kent County Council ends today, so a huge thank you to everyone who has either taken part in this or supported others to do so. Regular testing remains hugely important for those working or accessing campus – asymptomatic Covid-19 testing is available either on site at both our Canterbury and Medway campuses or using take-home tests.

Kent Summer Fest

Thanks to some careful planning by the project team, we are delighted to still be able to welcome students and staff for our Kent Summer Fest celebrations from 21 June to 2 July, with events largely outdoors and planned with Covid in mind. We are hoping to have a real buzz about the place once more and I look forward to seeing some of you there.

As well as work to support you all with coming back onto campus, we will also shortly share plans for a staff get together later in the summer so we can thank you in person for your continued hard work in what has been such an incredibly challenging year.

With all best wishes,

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chair of Covid-19 Silver Command

The Joint Staff Negotiating and Consultation Committee (JSNCC) is the main forum for consultation between the University and its staff on matters of mutual interest.

Staff membership of the committee comprises representatives of each of the trade unions and four representatives of non-union staff: two from the professional services and research support staff in grades 1 to 6; and two from the academic, research and professional services staff in grades 7 and above.

One of the current representatives, Jon King, is leaving the University in August so nominations are now invited for one position to represent staff grade 7 and above. Staff members working within Grade 7 and above are encouraged to apply.

Nominations can be made by responding to the nomination email sent on 14 June. All nominations must be proposed and seconded by two other staff members and nominees must confirm that they agree to be nominated. The deadline for completed nomination forms is 17.00 on Monday 28 June 2021.

Why join the JSNCC?

Acting as a staff representative is interesting and rewarding. It provides the opportunity to discuss and comment on University plans and policies, meet a wide range of new people and gain valuable personal development. Training and support will be provided to the successful candidate.

Further information about the JSNCC and the nomination and election processes can be found on the JSNCC website or by contacting HR via ERBP@kent.ac.uk

Article by Jan Moriarty, Co-Chair of the LGBT+ Staff Network:

On 1 June, I got to reflecting about Pride Month and why it’s so important to me that we celebrate and commemorate our community, past and present.

I was brought up in the 1960’s and 70’s. When we look back through rose-tinted media glasses, those were supposed to be the days when you could be who you wanted to be, express yourself in myriad ways, shrug off the confines of social expectations. In reality, life in a Catholic, northern family didn’t quite have the freedoms of a new social era and there were very many expectations of behaviour. I’m not crying about it; I didn’t even notice it at the time.

I grew up straight, in a straight world, where it was fine to think about having a job, but you still had to know how to cook and clean and iron your future husband’s shirts! A world where American Tan tights (google it) were the expected uniform for young women (true story!). I saw education as my way out. What could be less confrontational than to leave home for university? I knew I was never going back.

I’d like to say that I started reinventing myself the moment I boarded the train to London with two stupidly heavy suitcases, but I was a very uncool student just as I had been a very uncool child. I studied hard, made friends, but I was no rising star. Then one day in 1985, a chance meeting changed my world. Suddenly there were colours, rainbow colours, and I discovered my true self.

The transformation was root and branch; my straight friends reacted badly, my family even worse. But LGBT+ people made me feel unique, wanted, part of a bigger family, one where difference is celebrated. The LGBT+ community is one of the most diverse, all-embracing, inclusive communities on the planet. The + is very important. The ability to self-define and still be accepted is a fundamental part of this community, which is what makes it so very special. And it’s not just about who’s allowed in; it’s about the support once you arrive. We look after each other, support each other, and use discrimination against us as fuel to support other minoritised groups.

I’ve stood on the shoulders of LGBT+ people who have gone before me, who refused to be boxed in to a hetero-normative world. And, in my turn, I have marched and campaigned for LGBT+ rights that young people can now take for granted. And the struggle is not over; it will never be over.

So Pride Month is important to me because that’s when I feel closest to my community. My LGBT+ family from 1980’s London is now scattered across the world, others we lost in the last pandemic: HIV/AIDS. But wherever I am, knowing that the core nature of this community is to protect its own and speak its truth gives me a sense of balance and belonging. It gives me a sense of Pride.

Get educated (the easy way):

June is Pride Month

As we near the end of our financial year (31 July 2021), colleagues are reminded of the continued need to limit our non-pay spend.

Lockdown rules may have been gradually relaxed and travel become less restricted, but we are still working within extremely challenging financial conditions.

To help minimise our non-pay spend, a number of controls introduced last year remain in place, including:

• Credit card use restricted to a small number of nominated areas
• Limited travel, especially overseas (see below)
• ‘No PO, No Pay’ process still applies

New travel policy

Following the UK Government’s recent relaxation of travel rules, our Procurement team has published an updated policy on staff travel during 2021-22.

The new policy states that staff should travel in the UK and abroad only where absolutely necessary and following detailed risk assessment and latest FCDO guidance.

Travel requests will have to be approved by your line manager or director. The expectation is that travel will be much lower in the financial year 2021-22 than in pre-pandemic years.

University taxi service

A new contract for University taxi services went live in May 2021.

A single monthly invoice for each section of the University is now paid from a single purchase order each month. This will reduce the number of card transactions, very low value invoices and expense claims for taxis. Our new taxi suppliers are:

• Longleys, for journeys around Canterbury, including Canterbury-airport bookings
• Vokes, for journeys around Medway, including Medway-airport bookings

An App will be launched for staff to use shortly. In the meantime, bookings can be made by  telephone and, for cost control purposes, staff will need go through their respective Division bookers.

IR35 legislation

From 6 April 2021, there are extra responsibilities when deciding whether off-payroll working rules apply. This is where consultants or contractors engage with the University through an intermediary, such as a Personal Service company. Further information is available on the Procurement webpages.

Best practice guidance

Our Procurement Team has put together a comprehensive guide to best practice in purchasing goods and services on the University’s behalf.

The new Procurement Manual takes account of changes in legislation post-Brexit and includes easy access to key information, as well as a list of contracts to help you choose which suppliers to use. The Manual will be updated and republished on an annual basis.

Click on a PDF version of the Procurement Manual, or find the latest guidance under a new Procurement Manual tab on the Procurement webpages.

The Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards recognise and celebrate the very best companies, collaborations and projects from across the London & South East region.  This year the University of Kent has made it through as a finalist in the Client of the Year category.  The nomination was submitted by Willmott Dixon to demonstrate their collaboration with the Estates Department on the construction of Sibson, Kennedy and Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS).

The judging panel, consisting of four industry professionals, were impressed with the presentation given by Mark Ashmore, Project Manager in Estates and sent Kent through to the final voting round for the People’s Choice Award.  The voting is now open and you can show your support by using the button at the bottom of the SECBE Awards 2021 finalist University of Kent blog.

Voting closes at 16.45 on Thursday 1 July and will be announced at the Virtual Summit & Awards Ceremony held that day.

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support, including weekly webinars.

This week’s (Monday 14 June – Friday 18 June) webinars are as follows:

Monday 14 June 2021 – ‘How Care first can support you’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Tuesday 15 June 2021 – ‘Men’s Health Awareness’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Wednesday 16 June 2021 – ‘How to identify if someone in the Workplace is struggling with their
Mental Health’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Thursday 17 June 2021 – ‘Ways to avoid feeling isolated whilst continuing to work from home’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Friday 18 June 2021 – ‘The Possible emergence of a Mental Health Pandemic’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link