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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. -
BGU Chaplain to Join Cathedral Community
The Dean of Chapel and Chaplain at Bishop Grosseteste University is to be installed as a Priest Vicar of Lincoln Cathedral next week. The Rev Dr Peter Green will be installed at a ceremony in St Hugh's Choir at Lincoln Cathedral at 5.30pm on Tuesday 3rd November. “To be invited to be a member of the foundation of one of the most stunning architectural statements of Christian faith in the world is a wonderful privilege and opportunity,” said Peter, who has been in post at BGU since 2012. “The way that universities use cathedral titles to describe some of their officers, such as Chancellor and Dean, shows the hugely important role played by the church in the development of higher education in Europe. It is wonderful therefore that a university like BGU with its Anglican foundation is being given a chance to deepen its relationship with the cathedral – especially given that it is the resting place of our namesake Bishop Robert Grosseteste. “I hope to use this role to encourage all who use our chaplaincy to participate more fully in the life of the cathedral, both spiritually and educationally.” Priest Vicars at Lincoln Cathedral support the worshipping life of the cathedral by occasionally leading worship and its pastoral outreach and help to support those who come to the cathedral looking for spiritual support. -
Children’s Spirituality Top of the Agenda at BGU
A total of 75 delegates from more than 15 countries converged on Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln for the biennial four-day event. Led by Dr Kate Adams, Head of Research at the university, and held in partnership with the International Association for Children’s Spirituality (IACS), the conference ran from Tuesday 26th until Friday 29th July. Dr Adams said: “There is a significant recognition that the spiritual dimension of life is often undervalued in societies which are consumer-driven and market-orientated. We wanted to explore the many elements of children’s spirituality through dialogue between those from different disciplines and cultures.” Entitled Spirituality and the Whole Child: Interdisciplinary Approaches, the conference attracted many of the world’s leading experts, practitioners and postgraduate students and was a forum for those working in education, social work, chaplaincy, psychology, youth work, ministry and neuroscience. Keynote speakers came from prestigious universities from across the globe and included John (Jack) Miller from the University of Toronto, Canada; Joyce Ann Mercer from Yale Divinity School, USA; and Jacqueline Watson from the University of Exeter, UK. They shared their research, insight and wisdom and stimulated debate on alternative schooling, restorative spirituality for traumatised children and integrated working to support children respectively. An additional 44 papers and workshops were delivered covering themes relating to spirituality in different contexts. These included the early years through to adolescence, music, art, meditation, mindfulness, children’s literature, resilience and religious approaches. During the conference, Dr Adams was elected as Co-chair of the association. “I am honoured to have been voted in to this role by our members,” she said. “IACS is an inclusive community which values the spiritual lives of children and young people, irrespective of their faith or lack thereof. It is particularly pertinent to BGU as a church university to be central to this significant work which is being conducted across the globe.” A series of social events took place during the week and included the formation of a community choir by conference delegates. The choir was led by Frances Kelly, a recent recipient of a British Citizen Award for services to community music-making in Lincolnshire. The delegates also enjoyed a bespoke tour of Lincoln Cathedral as seen through children’s eyes as well as a conference dinner showcasing the outstanding talents of BGU chef Jack Bridges and his team. -
BGSU breaking down barriers on University Mental Health Day
Exotic creatures, bouncy castles and specialist counsellors are being brought on to campus by the Bishop Grosseteste Student Union (BGSU) on Thursday 1 March as part of University Mental Health Day. Challenging the stigma University is a challenge. For many the challenge is tough but rewarding, however for some it is simply stressful with deadlines and separation from home building together to overwhelm. Approximately 29% of students experience anxiety while at university. Many won’t seek help, either for fear of the stigma that still surrounds mental health issues, or because they just don’t know who to turn to. There are, however, people out there who are ready and willing to help. Showing support for students BGSU are making it their mission to show students they are not alone and should never feel ashamed to ask for support. As part of the University Mental Health Day project they will be hosting a day packed with activities designed to boost students’ wellbeing, these include: Therapy Animals including dogs, meerkats, foxes and racoons to help students de-stress curtesy of ‘Oreo and Friends’ (www.oreoandfriends.co.uk) A ‘Check in your Emotional Baggage’ station Representatives from local wellbeing charities and sport organisations including Addaction, Revival and the BGU Gym Hand massages from Lush A ‘Sensory Chill Out Room’ Peer to Peer Support Sessions Bouncy Castle and Bubble Wrap Walks Free Self Defence Sessions. Breaking down barriers All of these activities are designed to help show students where they can find support when needed and how to manage their anxieties and look after themselves in the future. Abigail Rogers, BGSU Manager, feels strongly that promoting positive mental health should be a core objective of any SU: “The whole SU team are passionate about raising the profile of positive psychological wellbeing in the BGU community as so many students struggle with their mental health. This will be the third year we have been part of Student Minds University Mental Health Day and our aim is to continue breaking down the stigma and encourage students to feel confident to start a conversation and show them where they can get support.” For more information on the work and activities carried out by BGSU visit their website. If you are struggling or are worried about your mental wellbeing, our Student Advice, Chaplaincy, and Student Union Teams are here to offer impartial and confidential support at all times. You can also find confidential support through Mind and Samaritans (available 24/7). University Mental Health Day takes place during BGU's Well Being Week. -
CELT Helps Students ‘Escape’ their Anxieties to Find their New Home at BGU
Beginning the university adventure can be a daunting prospect. Finding themselves in a new place far from their home and friends, some students struggle to adapt and turn their university into their new home. The Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching (CELT) team at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) are dedicated to making students feel part of the BGU community from the minute they arrive and over the last few weeks they have been running events to help feel at home. The ‘Escape Rooms’ challenge was held as part of the new year’s induction week. Fifty students split into teams of three to six people were set four tasks based around academic skills: Mind Game: An activity based around developing a ‘growth’ mind set where students were required to hunt for clues to solve a series of problems. Trivia Pursuit: An activity based around research where students were required to find the correct information by identifying what is a reliable source and what’s not. Divergent Thinking: A series of puzzles and problems requiring students to think literally and laterally to devise solutions to successfully complete the task. Lexical Neapolitan: An activity requiring a problem to be solved using software by merging together documents to obtain the answer. The full event was designed to help students transition to their new surroundings, create a feeling of community and increase their mental and physical wellbeing. Feedback from the event was very positive with participants enjoying the activities and the opportunity to meet and mix with other new students. Mature students in particular often find starting their university studies after a break from education intimidating; with concerns over connecting with their peers causing anxiety instead of excitement. With this mind the CELT team put together another special event designed specifically around their experiences. The half day event offered mature students an introduction to the support available to them from across the University along with providing them a chance to meet fellow mature students and begin planting their own roots. BGU offer a range of different support services to help our students feel at home. If you’re in need of help and are unsure where to begin anyone from our Student Advice, CELT, BGSU and Chaplaincy teams will be more than happy to guide you. You can keep up to date with all the upcoming events designed to support and inspire our students on our news and events pages. -
Staff and Students Plant Seeds for the Future at BGU
Autumn is a season of transition as the leaves turn brown and the nights grow longer. In the spirit of the season the CELT team at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) organised the ‘Blooming Marvellous’ event to help staff and students see opportunities for their own positive change. Devised in partnership with BGU’s Chaplaincy team the event encouraged the BGU community to come together to celebrate positive change and growth, providing staff and students with the opportunity to plant bulbs in the University’s Peace Garden. As the seasons progress they will then be able to watch their plants grow and blossom into a beautiful display of colour whilst at the same time having the chance to reflect on how they can make changes in their own lives. 20 students and staff members from departments across the University gathered together in the Peace Garden and Claire Thomson, Head of the Centre for Enhancement and Learning in Teaching (CELT), was delighted to see the event bring the BGU community together for such an uplifting afternoon: “It was a fantastic day to be enjoying the outdoors with staff and students working together under a shining sun to plant a range of bulbs in the border of the Peace Garden which over the next few months will transform it into a beautiful tranquil place to relax. "The bulbs and flowerbeds that they have prepared will become an array of colour in the Spring as a symbol of growth, transition and hope. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended.” You can keep up to date with all the upcoming events designed to support and inspire our students and staff on our news and events pages. -
Staff and students’ flowers turn university garden into a colourful oasis of calm
Towards the end of autumn, staff and students at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) came together for a ‘Blooming Marvellous’ afternoon of green-fingered fun. Devised in partnership between BGU’s CELT and Chaplaincy teams the ‘Blooming Marvellous’ event encouraged the BGU community to celebrate positive change and growth by providing them with the opportunity to plant bulbs in the University’s Peace Garden. With spring in full swing and summer around the corner the Peace Garden has now burst into life, becoming an oasis of colour in the heart of campus, and the patient planters can now see the results of their efforts. Claire Thomson, Head of the Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching (CELT), was delighted for everyone involved that their hard work was now providing such a positive environment for the whole university: “Not only have our staff and students transformed the Peace Garden into a beautiful and tranquil place to relax, they have also created a symbol of their own growth, transition, and hope. Hopefully now, whenever they’re looking for that extra little push, they’ll be able to look on this gorgeous garden to feel inspired.” You can keep up to date with all the upcoming events designed to support and inspire our students and staff on our news and events pages. -
Armadillos, Sumo Suits and Bouncy Castles Help the BGU Community Promote Positive Mental Health
The Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) community came together for the 4th annual University Mental Health Day (UMHD) promoting positive mental health with the help of bouncy castles, sumo suits and an array of exotic creatures. Organised by Bishop Grosseteste Students’ Union and the Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching the day aimed to help the BGU community relax and find opportunities to improve their mental wellbeing. Activities across the day included visits from armadillos, skunks and meerkats, bouncy castles, sumo suits and group knitting. Abigail Rogers, BGSU Manager, explained why the SU team were utilising such unusual activities to combat mental health issues: “We are passionate about removing the stigmas around mental health support to get more people talking. Activities like our mental health day are a perfect way to do this as they take the pressure off discussing our wellbeing and show those needing support that they are not alone. Over the last few years we’ve seen UMHD have a really positive impact and I’m excited to keep running more in the future” For more information on the work and activities carried out by BGSU visit their website. If you are struggling or are worried about your mental wellbeing, our Student Advice, Chaplaincy, and Student Union Teams are here to offer impartial and confidential support at all times. You can also find confidential support through Mind and Samaritans (available 24/7). -
How to make a rubbish trip brilliant
As part of the University’s wellbeing approach, Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching organised a visit to Lincolnshire’s Energy from Waste facility for Geography students to help them see how they could create a sustainable campus. The waste facility (FCC Environment, Lincolnshire EFW visiting centre) is the largest in Europe and provides a sustainable, safe and affordable waste treatment solution and allows energy to be produced from waste which isn’t recycled or composted. The plant receives up to 190,000 tonnes of residual waste per year and uses the waste to generate electricity and other by product materials that can be used safely in road construction and recycling. During the trip students learnt why the facility is important due to its forward thinking attitude, low carbon footprint and ability to divert waste away from landfills along with how they could implement those qualities into their own activities both on and off campus. Mark Charlesworth, Associate Tutor for Geography at BGU, who accompanied the students said he found the trip an interesting and engaging opportunity: “The viewing facilities were fantastic. It is important to recognise that currently a large amount of waste is created by society and it is better to recover energy from waste with as little pollution as possible, and this plant demonstrated efficient waste disposal and energy creation” Claire Thomson, Head of the Centre for Enhancement in Learning and Teaching (CELT), discussed the wider benefits the trip could offer the BGU community: “This trip was a fantastic way for students and staff to raise their awareness of global sustainability and the role we can all play in this. In addition it builds on our ongoing work with the University’s wellbeing steering group to raise awareness of the importance of a sustainable campus” As part of these efforts to create a sustainable, mentally positive campus CELT and the wellbeing steering group have been working with the University’s Estates team to craft a series of quiet spaces across BGU. They have also collaborated with the Chaplaincy team on the ‘Blooming Marvellous’ project, and with BGSU and BG Lincoln ltd. on the drive to replace paper cups and plastic straws. Further improvements to its campus and facilities to reduce its carbon footprint and make the campus more sustainable carried out by BGU include: Initiatives include: Solar control glass to reflect the heat from the sun which results in a cooler, more comfortable, internal room temperature which in turn reduces the need for air-conditioning A rainwater harvesting system in the Library which reduces mains water usage A hot water solar system in the sports hall, BG Futures and the refectory which reduces gas consumption If you’d like to be a part of BGU’s drive to create a sustainable and positive campus you can join our student community by visiting our website, talking to our Enquiries Team or by coming along to one of our Open Days. -
‘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.
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