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Roll up, Roll up! The Carnival Arrives at BGU
All the fun of the fair arrived at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) on Wednesday 20th November in the form of Carnival 2019, a well-being event sponsored by the Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching (CELT).To brighten up a damp and rainy November, the CELT team in collaboration with the SU organised everything from a chocolate fountain, indoor games, limbo and candy floss to cookie decorating, giant mindful colouring in and the adorable hen Gemma who was kindly brought in by ‘OrionTree’ alongside a pair of alpacas and became a huge hit. The animals from OrionTree regularly visit schools throughout the year and provide a fantastic, calming experience for the children and students who interact with them. Over 150 people attended the jamboree, which put lots of smiles on not only staff and student faces but also on children from local specialist school, St. Francis, who popped in to enjoy all of the activities that ran in the Students’ Union (SU) between 12pm-3pm. Linette Wallace, Centre Coordinator at CELT, explained why the carnival day was such an important activity in the University calendar: “Part of the rationale behind hosting such an event for our students, is we recognise a mid-semester dip in the first term through a rise in referrals to Student Advice. Students can sometimes feel an increase in anxiety levels with both the assessment period and the December break and this provides an opportunity for them to get together and just have a few hours of fun.” These aims were clearly recognised by BGU’s student community with Jordan Fane, Bishop Grosseteste University Students’ Union Vice President, praising the event: “The turnout for this year’s carnival was brilliant and it was great to have so many students visit the Students’ Union to engage with all the different activities on offer. The SU are hugely thankful to CELT for sponsoring this event which has become increasingly popular and although I was kept busy supporting the event on the day, I also enjoyed having a few games of chess myself!” CELT, guided by the well-being steering group, will continue to build upon the well-being successes of last year and are fully committed to creating and maintaining a positive and mindful University here at Bishop Grosseteste. If you feel you could support some of our well-being initiatives, please do not hesitate to get in touch E: celt@bishopg.ac.uk -
‘Death and Dying’ conference to shine a light on difficult conversations for fourth year
Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) annual ‘Academic and Creative Responses to Death and Dying’ conference is returning for a fourth year in 2020 aiming to provide an open and interactive forum to bring discussions on death and dying back into the mainstream. The topics and conversations on ‘Death and Dying’ have almost disappeared from everyday life. They are hidden away in hospitals or hospices and often take place away or outside the inner family circle and yet, we have to learn to cope and live with loss. It is this challenge that the ‘Death and Dying’ conference, organised by members of BGU’s academic and chaplaincy teams, with additional funding from the Church Universities Fund, is designed to overcome. Taking place over two weekends in early 2020 the conference will deal with issues to do with bereavement and grief from an interdisciplinary angle. There will be papers, keynote speeches and creative responses – including dramatic performances, art and writing workshops – along with a concert to close out the event organised by musicians from BGU. The conference is fast becoming a recognised tradition in the University calendar and Dr Sibylle Earle, Reader in English Literature at BGU, one of the main organisers discussed what links the event so closely to the work carried out at BGU: “The issue of death and dying is one which very frequently arises in chaplaincy work in HEI, as well as schools and daily practice. Trainee teachers can prepare for it. BGU students. I think it would be good to point out that students can fulfil requirements for graduate attributes when they attend this event. Whilst the event is framed against a Christian and specifically Anglican understanding of these issues it is not inclusively so and the speeches and discussions taking place will involve a wide range of viewpoints. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing where our attendees and delegates will take us this year” The conference will be taking place over the 30th of January to the 1st of February with a second session over the 27th to the 29th of February. Full details of the programme of activities, bookings and dates can be found on the conference website. -
Research Symposium Seeks to Highlight Participatory Autism Research
Last month Bishop Grosseteste University’s Lincolnshire Open Research and Innovation Centre (LORIC) Autism Ideas Café joined the Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) to hold a Research Symposium event to discuss a collection of projects aimed at widening society's understanding of Autism. The virtual event saw four participatory autism researchers showcase their projects via short presentations and discussions with other researchers in front of an audience of over 70 attendees comprised of individuals, allies, professionals, and academics from around the world (many of whom were autistic). Topics and projects discussed included: “The Precariat” is a good name for a band: Autism, employment and the creative industries – Examining the experiences of autistic individuals as they transition from university into employment within the creative industries.Parents’ stories involving autism diagnosis for their child – Exploring the advantages and disadvantages of having an autism “diagnosis”.Autistic Teachers – The lived experiences of autistic professionals as they enter, manage, stay in, or exit the professionExploring classroom literature from an autistic viewpoint – How lenses of perception can impact on emotional interaction with a text. Following the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to discuss the research, network and share ideas. This has already led to some interesting collaborations with researchers from all over the UK and overseas,with a range of presentations already lined up for future events. Further details will be released in due course, but to register interest for these events, please visit the LORIC events page. Dr Clare (Kate) Lawrence (Senior Lecturer in Teacher Development at BGU, East Midlands Convener for the Participatory Autism Research Collective(PARC) and L.C.C. Autism Champion) shared her excitement at the potential impact of the event: “I am very excited by our first event as part of the Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC). This symposium showcased how BGU is embedding participatory autism research into our work through interesting and innovative projects that will further enrich and widen understanding of autism. It was a pleasure to listen in to these exciting research projects and on the discussions about them that took place between the participants. This is participatory autism research both in that the researchers are members of the autistic community and in that those researchers are exploring how best to capture the voices of their autistic community participants. There is real richness here, and I feel deeply privileged to be a part of this work.” Autism Ideas Café founder, Kay Purle, echoed Dr Lawrence's excitement, and discussed her hopes for future events: “It was very exciting to partner with the Participatory Autism Research Collective to deliver this event and it provided an exciting addition to the calendar of Autism Ideas Café events, which are based on a World Café Model of ideas sharing and collaboration. It was great to see such a positive response to the event in terms of sign up and of feedback so far, and it is hoped that we will be able to run further joined up events in the future”. Recordings of the event are available to view on the Participatory Autism Research Collective website: View recordings This event was funded by the Research England Strategic Priorities Fund. -
I went to the LORIC autism café and this is how it went…
The next Autism Ideas café event will be held on Wednesday 19th May from 10am-12pm using MS Teams.It is open to anyone with an interest in autism, and we particularly welcome autistic staff and students, or those who are autism allies to attend. You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/loric-autism-ideas-cafe-may-2021-tickets-142215718041 Not sure if it's for you? Read the experiences of one of our students who attended the last event below: -
My tips for balancing work, university, and life for new students
By Ebony-Jay Thurland -
Autism Ideas Cafe Update - May 2021
An update on the latest Autism Ideas Cafe event held 19th May 2021 -
BGU Officially Welcome New Students at Annual Matriculation Ceremony
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) formally enrolled over 1000 students and welcomed nearly 600 of those students at the annual Matriculation Ceremony on Friday 8 October 2021. Now in its seventh year the welcoming ceremony has become an established and popular part of the academic calendar. All newly enrolled students are invited to the ceremony, held in the grand surroundings of Lincoln Cathedral, which gives both undergraduate and postgraduate students the chance to meet University staff and each other. This year’s ceremony began at 3pm with a procession of over 100 BGU members of staff before the new students were officially welcomed to the University by the University’s Chancellor, Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas, the Vice-Chancellor, the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, the President of the Students’ Union, Erin Bell and the The Vice-Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, The Reverend Canon Neil Burgess. As a symbol of their belonging in BGU, all students were given a specially designed gold badge. The Vice-Chancellor explained why the event has become such an important part of the student journey at BGU: “The Matriculation Ceremony marks our students’ formal entry into the University. In addition to offering a friendly welcome to all those who are starting their studies here this year, it marks their entry into BGU’s academic community, of which every student is an integral member. It is also emphasised that we are all there to guide and support the students throughout their time with us. This year feels particularly special, as it is the first time we have gathered together in the Cathedral for almost two years.” The ceremony closed with a performance from the BGU choir followed by speeches from Harry Mill, second year Education Studies and Mathematics student, and Bethany Mcallister, second year English Literature student. If you would like to become a part of the BGU community visit our website to find out about all the exciting courses available to you or contact our Enquiries Team today. You can watch this year’s ceremony and find a photo album on our Facebook page -
Sports students host nearly 300 local children for rugby megafest
Over 290 primary school children from 18 different schools across Lincolnshire took part in the annual Tag Rugby Megafest at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). This event, now in its seventh year, sees Sport undergraduates provide children with a fun-filled day of learning and playing rugby. The festival is an opportunity for first and second-year BGU students studying sport to put theory into practice. During the morning, the children were taught basic rugby skills such as teamwork, social skills, catching and throwing, and the rules of the game. In the afternoon, the children had a chance to join with other schools and put their newly acquired rugby skills into practice during a game. The match was led by BGU students and the children were awarded stickers for different skills they achieved during the day. The festival provided a platform for the students to develop their teaching skills and offered an opportunity to support each other and learn from one another. Hollie Tawn, who is in her first year of studying Psychology and Sport said: "We really benefitted from having the support of the second-years who have done this before and were able to guide us during the day. It was really nice to have the opportunity to work with the children and express myself through sport activity." Second-year Sport, Coaching & Physical Education student Jon Smith said it was quite eye-opening to return to the event a year later. He said: "It's a fun-filled day for the children, but it's also a really interesting experience for us as undergraduates. It was clear how much I've developed since this time last year and it just shows that all the practice and hard work pays off!" What makes this year's festival unique is the return of three BGU alumni (below) who previously studied Sport and Education at the university and now work as teachers in three of the participating schools. Their return to campus serves as a reminder to current students of the exciting career opportunities that could be in store for them in the field of sports education. (L-R) BGU alumni Joe Albans from Saxilby CofE Primary School, Danny Finn from St Giles Academy, and Luke Forbes from Waddington All Saints Academy all returned to campus in their roles as teachers BGU Sport Programme Leader Rafe Elliott said: "Our annual Tag Rugby Megafest provides an excellent opportunity for our students to develop their teaching and coaching skills and put theory into practice. It's also a great chance for the visiting children to learn new skills, have fun, and be active. "For our first and second-year students, the festival represents a chance to put their academic knowledge into practical use and benefit from peer learning. For the participating children, the festival offers a fun-filled day of skill-building, social development and encouragement to get moving!" After seven successful years, the event has become a highly anticipated fixture on the academic calendar for the participating children and BGU students alike, offering a unique opportunity to develop essential skills and knowledge in a fun, supportive environment. Schools in attendance: Leslie Manser Primary SchoolFosse Way AcademySt Giles AcademySaint Lawrence CofE Primary SchoolWaddington All Saints AcademyBirchwood Junior School North Scarle Primary SchoolGainsborough Parish Church Primary SchoolBenjamin Adlard Primary SchoolWestgate AcademyErmine AcademyIngham Primary SchoolPotterhanworth CofE Primary SchoolSaxilby CofE Primary SchoolSt Peter's CofE Primary AcademyScotter Primary SchoolCharles Baines Community Primary SchoolFrances Olive Anderson CofE Primary School -
BGU’s Chaplaincy announce public reading of the longest novel in the English language
Chaplaincy are planning to attempt a public reading of what is widely regarded as the longest novel in the English language.
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