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BGU spreads kindness for Mental Health Awareness Month
In a bid to promote mental health awareness, Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) recently visited three colleges in the local area to distribute free cookies and provide valuable mental health resources and support information. The initiative took place as part of Mental Health Awareness Month and aimed to offer support and assistance to students during the busy exam period. The team from BGU visited Boston College, Franklin College in Grimsby, and John Leggott College in Scunthorpe to spread some kindness. At each college, they distributed an impressive total of 350 still-warm cookies, baked lovingly by the University's own urban diner Refectory. As well as handing out cookies, the team gave each student a postcard with a QR code that linked to a wealth of mental health and wellbeing resources and support. Students were encouraged to make use of these services or pass them on to a friend that may need them, especially during the busy exam period. Students at each college were also reminded to 'Keep it kind' with free badges gifted by the University. Linc Higher's Boston College Engagement Officer Lorraine Breeton said: "I would just like to thank BGU for coming along to support Boston College students by signposting to information on Mental Health awareness month, and of course, bringing those delicious cookies. They certainly cheered many (350!!) people up!" During mental health awareness month, BGU is also running the campaign, '31 Good Deeds for May', urging everyone to engage in a simple act of kindness each day. The student advice team have hosted a number of events throughout the month, including a wellbeing walk through Lincoln's historical quarter, opening a relaxation station on campus, and running Talk-About events where students can receive judgement free advice. A member of the BGU team said: "It was wonderful to meet all these students and spark some insightful and open conversations around Mental Health Awareness Month. "If the resources we've shared help even one person, it's worth it. At the very least, we hope we've sweetened the students' day with a free cookie!" -
MA student receives inaugural Prue Goodwin Award
The inaugural Prue Goodwin award has been presented to MA student Alisha Gibbs for an outstanding result for her final dissertation. Alisha has been studying the Children’s Literature and Literacies MA on a full time basis, and handed in her dissertation this year. Titled: "An exploration of children's reading choices: Considerations that impact on what children choose to read and why", the thesis pulls together a range of key topics and issues in children’s literature including: commercialism, adaptation and materiality to explore the reasons why children choose certain books. Alisha said: "I learnt so much during my process, especially the most effective ways of writing a Master's dissertation. At times it felt like the work would never end, especially when I was juggling a job at the same time, but it's been an exciting journey. During the process of creating her final project, Alisha found a method that proved most productive for her. She said: "I have a fairly long commute, and I would spend the time in the car thinking of ideas. I'd have to phone someone else to write them down because I was driving. "When it came time to really focus and turn my studying into a piece of writing, I took the advice of my dissertation supervisor, Dr Amy Webster, and planned a 'writing retreat' which was a great way to stay productive. "I found out I'd won the award while I was at my teaching job. It was a lovely moment to share the news with my students and celebrate their own contribution to the award. They wanted to do it all over again!" Her award was presented at an end of year celebration for BGU's Primary Education students. Alisha had studied a BA in Primary Education with QTS before starting her Master's, so the presentation demonstrated to the third years the benefits of postgraduate study. At the event, Alisha said: "I really didn't expect to win but it's amazing to have my hard work recognised like this. I'll definitely be celebrating tonight!" Dr Prue Goodwin, who received an honorary doctorate from BGU in 2021, has been an inspiration to many colleagues and their teaching. Prue Goodwin trained as a teacher at BGU (1965-1965) and is now a world authority on Primary Education. She is a longstanding member of the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) and a prolific writer, having written and edited more than 18 books and guides. In reflection of Prue’s contribution to the fields of literacy and children’s literature as well her support of related studies at BGU, the Prue Goodwin Award is given annually to the student who achieves the highest mark in the dissertation module on the MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Alisha's dissertation is also set to be shared with Prue, who is keen to read the work of the award's first recipient.Senior Lecturer in Education Studies and Alisha's dissertation supervisor Dr Amy Webster said: "We are really proud to present this award to Alisha. As the recipient of this award, she will receive the offer to collaborate with a member of staff from the programme to develop an academic article based on their thesis to support her development as a scholar and practitioner of children’s literature and literacies. "Alisha’s thesis was an empirical research project that creatively drew together a range of key topics and issues in children’s literature including commercialism, adaptation and materiality to provide insight into the reasons for children’s reading choices." Learn more about our MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Alisha receiving her award from Dr Amy Webster at the celebration event -
Adding more value to your recruitment
Thinking about your recruitment needs for 2024-25? It is becoming extremely common for businesses to shift away from a traditional recruitment model to more of a talent acquisition model, focusing on the big-picture needs of an organisation, rather than hiring only to address short-term needs. Bersin by Deloitte defines talent acquisition as “a strategic approach to identifying, attracting, and onboarding talent to efficiently and effectively meet dynamic business needs.” At our forthcoming free webinar, we look to cover: - what the current recruitment landscape looks like and what is needed to engage Gen Z candidates further with a talk from Prospects (part of JISC), how apprenticeships can add value to your recruitment by addressing skills gaps and injecting new life-blood into an organisation, how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships give your organisation so much more than recruitment by ensuring new skills and expertise are embedded in your organisation during and post project and recruitment considerations post COVID and what organisations need to put in place for their employees now. At the end of the seminar, there will be a “spotlight” session whereby 10 top companies in Lincolnshire are sharing what their services are so that you can get any support and assistance you may need locally. Date: 9th August 2023 Time: 5.30pm-6.45pm Venue: Webinar, a link will be provided post registration To book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/adding-more-value-to-your-recruitment-tickets-650748294667 Agenda 5.30-5.40pm Welcome 5.40pm -5.50pm Current Recruitment Landscape, Recruitment Tips – How to engage Gen Z (Holly Longstaff, Prospects) 5.50pm-6pm How apprenticeships can add value to your recruitment needs (Jonathan Statham, Head of Apprenticeship Recruitment, Bishop Grosseteste University) 6pm – 6.10pm More than recruitment with KTPs (Linette Wallace, Business Development Officer, Bishop Grosseteste University) 6.10pm-6.20pm Recruitment considerations post COVID (Jonathan Cheeseman, Director of People and Infrastructure, Bishop Grosseteste University) 6.20pm-6.30pm Questions and Answers 6.30pm-6.45pm Spotlight session -
Honorary Award recipients announced
Each year, Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has the opportunity to award Honorary Doctorates and Honorary Fellowships at its graduation ceremonies. BGU staff and students, retired staff and alumni and current or former University Council members were invited to nominate candidates for honorary awards. Honorary Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to the University; whilst Honorary Doctorate is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to academic achievement, social, economic or cultural life. We're pleased to announce this year's award recipients, who will be honoured at graduation celebrations in July 2023. Bishop Grosseteste University Vice-Chancellor Rev Canon Professor Peter Neil said: “We are proud to be awarding this year’s honorary recipients for their expertise and service in their respective roles. I am delighted to welcome them to our wider BGU community. “Each one of them is inspirational in their own right and all serve as excellent role models for our students in how to make a positive impact on society.” -
Union Bar wins big at industry awards
Bishop Grosseteste Students' Union (SU) recently made a significant impact at the NUS Best Bar None awards, winning awards in three categories. The event was held at NEC, Birmingham and acknowledges outstanding venues for their safety measures, customer experience, staff training, and community outreach. The SU's venue, Union Bar, was recognised as the "Best Newcomer" and also achieved a Gold Accreditation in the team's first year of operation. Accreditation remains valid for one year, with regular updates and assessments to ensure continuous compliance with evolving priorities, including the safety and well-being of women and girls. Each accredited business receives a personalised report offering valuable advice and recommendations to enhance the safety and atmosphere of their establishment. The Best Bar None (BBN) accreditation scheme recognises, promotes and rewards venues that practice excellent social responsibility. The program is supported by the Home Office, and evaluates hospitality venues based on four essential criteria: venue management, staff training and care, customer safety and welfare, and customer service and community engagement. Abi Savage, CEO of the Students' Union, also received a Special Recognition Award for her exceptional support and dedication to the SU's commercial services. She said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to achieve gold in the first year of us running the bar. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the bar team that we have achieved the gold standard." The SU's Commercial Manager, Kieran Wiseman, and CEO Abi Savage accepting the awards -
Local schools attend BGU charity sports day
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) recently hosted the first free BGU Sports Day Project in June. Welcoming more than 250 children from a local school to the university's sports grounds, the event offered a day filled with excitement and sporting activities. Around 250 Year 5 and 6 students from Westgate Primary Academy were welcomed onto BGU's campus. The session provided a free and exciting opportunity for local children to get active, enjoy sports, and take part in some healthy competition. The event featured a variety of sports activities including javelin, long jump, hurdles, and relay races. The volunteers who contributed to the BGU Sports Day Project included Initial Teacher Education (ITE) trainees, staff volunteers, ITE academics, and representatives BG Futures and the sports centre. By opening its doors to children from neighbouring schools, BGU demonstrated its commitment to promoting physical well-being and active lifestyles among the younger generation. The BGU Sports Day Project was created by Samuel Willis-Dixon, a Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship student at BGU. Sam said: "Having worked as a primary teacher previously, I recognised the limited space available in city schools, particularly for physical education. "As part of my apprenticeship, I had to co-ordinate a work-based project. Creating the BGU Sports Day was not only a chance to be part of an exciting new initiative, but it was also an opportunity to give back to the community and showcase our excellent sport facilities. "It's taken the collaborative efforts of lots of individuals, teams, and departments to make this happen, but seeing how much fun the children had makes it all worth it!" Samuel Willis-Dixon at the Sports Day event -
Wellbeing Resources
We have created some helpful resources that aim to support positive mental health and wellbeing. You can find some of these resources on this page and more information is available on Student Advice & Wellbeing’s Blackboard page. If you are worried about another student's mental health, please see our Student in Crisis page here or read our 'Worried about a friend's mental health?' guide here. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your mental health, or need some additional support please contact Student Advice & Wellbeing , or arrange an appointment with BGU’s Mental Health Adviser using our online booking system. -
Break from study
We know there are times when you may need to take a break in study due to changing personal circumstances. This can be for a variety of reasons and can be a worrying time. However, we are here to support you. If you are thinking about taking some time out, we hope the information below will answer some of your queries. Need more help? Please email thehub@bishopg.ac.uk and we will triage your query to the appropriate team. -
Innovation in the Education Sector
Do you have an idea for a project to make your business more sustainable/innovate or grow but do not have all the in-house expertise needed to develop it? Would you like to understand how to improve upon leadership in your sector or improve your systems, processes and management capabilities? We're hosting a free online event on Wednesday 20th September from 3.30pm to 5pm where you can discover how to develop the solution you need through a collaboration funded by Innovate UK. Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a UK-wide programme managed by Innovate UK. It’s been running for 45 years and has supported more than 14,000 businesses to drive innovation for a positive impact. A typical KTP project delivers a support package valued at around £80,000 to £100,000 per year. This event aims to bring together organisations working in various areas of the education sector (Primary, Secondary, TESOL, SENDI, Educational Leadership, Autism/ADHD/Wellbeing) to learn about the KTP funding scheme and the best way to collaborate to drive innovation and growth. To facilitate engagement, there will be representatives from our Education Team available throughout the session to provide the opportunity for more targeted conversations to discuss ideas and challenges, and potential ways to collaborate through a KTP. Funding available for projects:- Charities 75% SMEs 67% Public Sector 50% Large Organisations 50% Agenda: • 3.30pm-4.00pm Knowledge Transfer Partnerships intro session (Linette Wallace, Business Development Officer) • 4.00pm – 4.30pm Education at BGU (Dr Sacha Mason, Head of Programmes – Education, Health and Lifelong Learning) • 4.30pm-5.00pm Questions and Answers to the panel Book your free ticket here. -
How to prepare for Freshers - Student Blog
by Georgina Cartwright
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