2010 Programme of Events

• Important Wellbeing Calendar Dates
• 2010/11 Programme of Events
• 2009/10 Events

Bookmark this site and come back to visit as we add more events, news items and links in the coming weeks and months.

Important Wellbeing Calendar Dates

Let us know if you would like to plan an awareness raising event or campaign and we will be happy to promote it, support you in delivering it, and offer any advice where possible!  Contact the Student Wellbeing Adviser by telephone on 0121 331 7741 or email studentwellbeing.adviser@bcu.ac.uk.

• International Aromatherapy Awareness Week: 6^th - 13^th October 2010
• Tea and Talk (Mental Health Foundation): 8^th October 2010
• Alcohol Awareness Week 2010: 18^th - 24^th October 2010
• Time to Change ‘Get Moving' Week: 9^th - 17^th October 2010
• World Mental Health Day: 10^th October 2010
• Make a Difference Day: 30^th October 2010
• National Stress Awareness Day: 3^rd November 2010
• Festival of Winter Walks: 26^th December 2010 - 3^rd January 2011
• Stress Down Day: 4^th February 2011
• National Salt Awareness Week: 7^th - 13^th February 2011
• Think about sex day: 14^th February 2011
• Contraceptive Awareness Week: 14^th - 18^th February 2011
• Eating Disorders Awareness Week: 21^st - 26^th February 2011
• Self Injury Awareness Day: 1^st March 2011
• Ovarian cancer awareness month: March 2011
• Mental health action week: 4^th - 11^th April 2011
• World Health Day: 7^th April 2011
• No Smoking Day: 9^th March 2011
• Thirst for Life: 9^th March - 23^rd April 2011
• Natural Health Fair: 13^th March 2011
• World Homeopathy Awareness Week: 10^th - 16^th April 2011

2010/11 Programme of Events

Please continue to watch this space for upcoming events.

• Smoking cessation awareness campaign: 4^th - 8^th September 2010

Stop-smoking Advisers will be holding clinics this week across the main University sites:

-       More details to follow.

• Time to Get Moving (part of the national Time to Change initiative): 9^th - 17^th October 2010

Keeping active and socialising are

great ways to promote better wellbeing

for both physical and mental health.

Free gym inductions, week passes, and free entry into classes at the new Doug Ellis Sports Centre at the City North Campus!!  Simply quote ‘Students Get Moving' as a reference when you contact them through their website for more information: www.dougellissportscentre.com.

Free bicycle D-Locks!!  Just visit one of our information stalls:

-       More details to follow.

Lloyds Pharmacy (Selly Oak) will be will be setting up information stalls this week across the main University sites and offering health screenings and blood pressure checks for students:

-       City North Campus (Perry Barr), Monday 11^th October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

-       City South Campus (Edgbaston), Tuesday 12^th October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

-       Gosta Green, Wednesday 13^th October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

-       Millennium Point, Thursday 14^th October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

Time to Get Moving Birmingham:  Presented by Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust and Community Vibe, on Sunday October 10th, 11.00am - 4.00pm at Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B12 9QH.

-       There will be a lineup of main stage events and over 40 interactive stalls of activity.  Visit the websites for more information:

www.time-to-change.org.uk/node/27833

www.communityvibe.co.uk

Get involved with the Birmingham Half Marathon on Sunday 24^th October 2010 to help with ‘The Race Against Climate Change':  www.birminghamhalfmarathon.com.  The closing date for entries is 23^rd September but people can get involved by volunteering to help out on the day, or just going along to cheer people along! 

Being green is good for your health - FACT!!  MIND's Ecotherapy Report shows that outdoor activities such as walking, gardening and exercise are good for our physical and mental wellbeing, reduce isolation, and can also be good for the environment. www.mind.org.uk/help/ecominds/ecominds/mental_health_and_the_environment 

• Tea and Talk campaign: Thursday 7^th & Friday 8^th October 2010

Feeling lonely?

 

Want a friendly chat with other students?

Free lunch with the University Chaplain's on Thursday 7^th October between 12 - 2pm in the Student Services meeting room (1^st floor Baker Building, City North Campus)!!  Come and relax, and chat with other students.  Students of any or no faith are welcome. 

Online ‘tea & talk' chat - hosted by Kathy Noren (Student Wellbeing Manager), Becky Pickering (Student Wellbeing Adviser), and Laura Dowling (International Student Adviser) on Friday 8^th October between 4.30 - 5.30pm. 

Grab a cup of tea or coffee and join in our chat!!  www.bcu.ac.uk/chatlive

Find out more about other Tea and Talk events through www.facebook.com/TeaAndTalk and http://twitter.com/TeaAndTweet.

Visit the Mental Health Foundation for more information about dealing with loneliness:  www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/loneliness-and-mental-health/what-is-loneliness

Promoting the importance of social support networks for mental health and wellbeing in aid of the Mental Health Foundation.  To make a donation please visit www.justgiving.com/mhf.

• Alcohol Awareness Week: 18^th - 24^th October 2010

The A-Team (www.alcoholservices-ateam.org.uk) will be setting up information stalls this week across the main University sites and Lloyds Pharmacy (Selly Oak) will be offering alcohol screenings and blood pressure checks for students:

-       City North Campus (Perry Barr), Monday 18th October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

-       City South Campus (Edgbaston), Tuesday 19th October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

-       Gosta Green, Wednesday 20th October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

-       Millennium Point, Thursday 21^st October, 11.30am to 2.30pm

• Make a Difference Day: Saturday 30^th October 2010

What will you do to make a difference to someone else's life?  No matter how big or small, we want to know! 

More details are available at www.csv.org.uk/campaigns/csv-make-difference-day

• International Student Event: Wednesday 1^st December 2010, 12.30 - 3.00pm

Want to know what to do over the holidays?

What are British Christmas customs and traditions?

Who should I contact in the event of an emergency during the holidays?

Want to arrange your own student social event over Christmas?  (E.g. communal Christmas lunch or visit to the German Markets).

Join us in the Student Services meeting room (1^st floor Baker Building, City North Campus) for an informal presentation/workshop led by Laura Dowling, and accompanied by Becky Pickering (Student Wellbeing Adviser) and Jenifer Cummings (University Chaplain).

• Festival of Winter Walks: 26^th December 2010 - 3^rd January 2011

More details to follow.

Find out what is on offer for young people in their 20s and 30s through the West midlands Walking Group:  www.wmwg.co.uk

• Don't Stress - awareness raising campaign: March 2011

More details to follow.

2009/10 Events

Thanks to everyone who took part in and attended ‘Celebrating Diversity Promoting Wellbeing Week 2010' from March 8^th - 12^th!

A wide range of organisations and colleagues took part in the hugely well attended Baker Hall Exhibition on 9^th and 10^th March:

• Stall holders 9^th March
• Stall holders 10^th March

Highlights of the workshops, taster sessions, activities and talks that were on offer throughout the week across all the main University campuses included:

• ‘A Class Divided' and ‘Incognito' - two short films on aspects of race and diversity, followed by a discussion of some of the issues raised.
• Alcohol Awareness workshop - information on alcohol-related health issues, alcohol misuse and support services. Included games and tools such as the ‘beer goggles' which participants could try out.
• Art and Mood workshop - an exploration of colour and mood using paint.
• Belly Dancing - a fantastic core workout, great for shaping up and protecting your back. Try out the moves and have fun learning to isolate different body areas while toning up and fat burning.
• Blendavenda - fresh fruit smoothies made to order through ‘pedal power'!
• Boost your brain with breakfast - an information stall run by 1^st year BSc (Hons) Health and Wellbeing students promoting healthy eating, with a particular focus on the benefits breakfast. Included lots of information and free samples of healthy breakfast and snack options.
• Boost your self-confidence workshop - an opportunity to explore the components of self-confidence and how to build yours, identify your demons so you can overcome them, and stop judging yourself more harshly than you judge other people. Being confident is not the same as being perfect.
• British Sign Language taster session - opportunity to learn useful signs that are frequently used to help improve your communication with people who are deaf or hearing impaired.
• Conservatoire Library - a week long display of information on the relationship between classical music and wellbeing, plus the diversity of world music.
• Diet & Wellbeing workshop - opportunity to learn about what ‘healthy eating' means, and how our diet can affect both our physical and mental health. Facilitated by Dieticians from Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT).
• Disability Awareness workshop - a ‘pub quiz' aimed at having some fun and learning a little more about disability... or even surprising yourself at how much you already know!
• Dyslexia Awareness workshop - opportunity to find out more about specific learning needs (dyslexia), take part in a quiz and some exercises, and develop your insight into what dyslexia means for adults.
• Fitness class taster sessions - including aerobics, core stability, step aerobics, Zumba, and spinning (cycling). Available daily at the City North Sports Centre all week: www.citynorthsportscentre.com
• Free dental screenings - product samples, literature and advice on oral health promotion with NHS Dentist, Dr Harminder Jagpal (Perry Park Dental Practice).
• Gatka display (Sikh martial art) - as part of ‘Interfaith Week', in conjunction with the Student Union Sikh Society, Harjinder Singh (expert in Sikh martial arts) performed a demonstration of Gatka and explaining some of the principles behind it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcoeL6TFI9c.
• Getting the balance right - an opportunity to identify what is really important to you, and to discover the choices you can make to bring balance to your life.
• Guided lunchtime walk - to interesting spots in Perry Barr.
• Healthy eating information stand - in foyer of Seacole Building (ground floor), facilitated by the BSc (Hons) Health and Wellbeing course team. Included information on what constitutes a healthy diet, highlighting healthier lifestyle choices, and including health checks such as BMI, waist measurement and blood pressure.
• Helping yourself whilst supporting others - workshop for staff who would like some advice on how to support students in distress, whilst maintaining their own wellbeing.
• Introduction to Hinduism - an opportunity to ask the BCU Student Union Hindu Society anything you've ever wanted to know about Hinduism, e.g. why do Hindu's do yoga, why do we light Diva lamps, etc.
• Introduction to Mediation workshop - opportunity to learn what mediation is all about and how can it help to resolve everyday disputes.
• Live cookery demonstrations by Sorted Students: www.sortedstudents.com. Each of the refectories at the main sites provided sample dishes from the Sorted cook book throughout the week.
• Live music with ‘The Outsiders' in the Baker foyer area. The Outsiders are an innovative Jazz and Blues band who regularly play in clubs, pubs and various community events across the West Midlands. This version of the band featured musicians who also happen to be members of staff at Birmingham City University, including Janice Williamson (Vocals , CICT), Mark Brown (Saxophones, Library and Learning Resources), and Wal Warmington (Drums, Academic Skills Tutor). Also joined by Henry Newman (Piano and Keyboard) and Ray Brown (Bass).

• Meditation workshop - an introductory-level workshop teaching meditation practices from the Buddhist tradition, aimed at calming the mind and developing positive emotion.
• Michael Cashman, MEP (guest speaker) - elected in 1999, Michael Cashman is a Member of the Labour Party and prominent MEP representing the interests of West Midlands. Michael is also the President of the Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, a cross-party grouping of MEPs fighting in favour of equal rights for LGBT individuals in Europe and throughout the world (taken from the official Micahel Cashman website).
• Money Management - top tips for better money management, budgeting skills, and dealing with debt.
• Reiki talk - learn about the history and principles of Reiki and experience some for yourself.
• Relaxation workshop - notice the difference between feeling relaxed and feeling tense, and learn some techniques for inducing relaxation to take away and practice.
• Stress Management workshop - opportunity to learn all about stress, what causes it, and how to deal with it.
• Supporting Care Leavers in HE - a look at the different ways that HE institutions are currently supporting care leavers (former ‘looked after children' who have been under Local Authority care, e.g. foster / children's homes) and a discussion on the BCU approach.
• Thought Field Therapy - a safe, simple and fast way to eliminate negative emotions. By addressing specific energy meridian points on the body in a precise and defined sequence, TFT has a success rate of about 85% for getting rapid relief from feelings such as anxiety, anger, grief or greed.
• Talk on diversity by Dr Baljit Rana - an overview of data and findings on diversity in the UK workplace from the various research projects, with a particular focus on the variables of gender and ethnicity. To what extent do businesses utilise them to their best advantage, and how can diverse employees develop themselves through various psychological tools and strategies, such as life coaching, Reiki and NLP.
• ‘Unsent Letters' - 50 minute play about one woman's experience of the mental health system, followed by a 40 minute interactive workshop: www.thehearthcentre.org.uk
• Workshop on LGBT issues for students in HE - facilitated by Vicki Baars (committee member for the National Union of Students' LGBT Campaign).
• Yoga class - rejuvenates your whole being using soft flowing movements, directed breathing and visualisation. Yoga works on the mind, body and spirit to improve strength and flexibility, and build a heightened sense of positivity.
• "Your job can make you healthier - but it probably doesn't!" - talk by Craig Jackson (Professor of Occupational Health Psychology).

•