Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
community wellbeing
Our sense of community and our social interactions with others have the potential to impact on all aspects of our general wellbeing.
Social relationships and spending time with others can positively impact on our mental wellbeing, whilst getting involved with sports activities either by ourselves or as part of a team can boost both our physical and mental health.
On these pages, you will find details of activities on and off campus that you can get involved with either on your own or with a group of colleagues.
Leeds Beckett is working to achieve the University Mental Health Charter. Colleagues and students have developed this wellbeing commitment which explains our approach to wellbeing and what it means for all members of our community.
Our wellbeing commitment
We know that working and studying in a mentally healthy community supports us all to attain good wellbeing, feel happier, have clarity of purpose, and meet our goals. Our background, experiences, environment, and relationships can all affect our mental health, and mental health in turn affects all parts of our lives – how we feel, function, and interact with others.
We are all unique, as are our experiences and needs. To achieve a whole university approach to wellbeing that is meaningful for the whole community, we will create an inclusive and understanding environment that values and listens to all voices. As a university we recognise the work that has already been done to increase awareness, open conversations and improve student and colleague wellbeing.
We have more to do – we want to be a university where stigma doesn’t exist; where any student or colleague who experiences distress finds this is met with openness and compassion; and where they are supported to access helpful resources and services.
A whole university approach to wellbeing and mental health requires us all to take action, for ourselves and for others. It recognises that, like physical health, we all have mental health that we need to recognise and value. Together, we will actively encourage healthy behaviours to improve wellbeing.
Staying connected
Within your team - With teams facing the challenge of colleagues being spread across campus and at home, it is important for teams to make use of the technology available to stay in touch, both socially and collaboratively. Introducing events such as virtual coffee mornings, quizzes, social MS Teams groups and using polls can help bring people together and interact.
Good news stories - Elevenses
At the start of lockdown, we felt it was important that the whole service still stayed in touch regularly, not just to discuss work but to replicate the everyday chats that we were missing from passing in the corridor or popping into each other’s offices. We created our 'elevenses’ meet ups. Informal, 30-minute catch ups at a memorable time every fortnight for the whole service to get together, use the chat bar and either talk about how ware getting on, take part in a quiz or sometimes listen to a guest speaker. Pets and children are welcome to join in, video on or off doesn’t matter just time together to check in. These have been well received by the whole service and attendance is always high.
With others across the university - As interaction with those out of our immediate work areas may be limited at this time, taking the time out to connect via our POD webinars can be a good way of keeping up with what else is happening across the university community.
Colleague and student Fora - Our network of colleague and student groups helps us to help others get the information and support they need. These groups provide a safe and supportive environment in which to discuss issues relating to equality and inclusion as well as to provide support and networking and to share best practice. We have five fora available, these are Race Equality Forum, Gender Forum, Rainbow Roses (LGBTQ+ forum), Faith, Belief and None Forum and our Disability Action Group. For details of how to join, please visit our Equality and Inclusion webpages.
Wellbeing and Mental Health Network - The Wellbeing and Mental Health Network was established because of colleagues engaging with our wellbeing survey and mental health sessions, and asking, “What else can I get involved with?”. The Network enables the POD team to share updates about new wellbeing initiatives and support available, and to get feedback from individuals about activities within their own areas.
Members of the network are asked to share wellbeing information with their colleagues and teams, and to keep the conversation about wellbeing and mental health going within their areas. New members are always welcome. To join the network, please email POD@leedsbeckett.ac.uk and we will add you to our mailing list.
Coaching and Mentoring - Our qualified coaches and experienced mentors are available for confidential conversations to help colleagues explore their thinking around a range of issues, from wellbeing and mindset to career aspirations and leadership. More details can be found on our People and OD website.
Return to work mentoring - If you are returning to work following a period of maternity, paternity or adoption leave, we have a mentoring scheme set up to help you transition back into the workplace. We will match you with a mentor who has previous experience of returning to work, and they will listen and support you with any concerns you may have. To find out more, visit our mentoring webpages.
In Conversation with....Podcasts - The People and Organisational Development Team have created a series of podcasts with colleagues across the university focusing on Learning and Development; Wellbeing; and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. To listen to our podcasts, please visit our Podcast catalogue. If you are working on a project that you feel would make a great conversation for one of our podcasts, please contact us to discuss at POD@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.
Leeds Beckett Chaplain, Rev Melvyn Kelly invites you to the virtual Creative Space sessions.
Melvyn writes: "Before lockdown a small group of colleagues used to meet fortnightly to share in creative activities as an aid to mindfulness and self-care. Now we have moved our group online in Facebook where the group has grown. We are finding that we can still encourage each other in our creativeness, stay in touch and watch over each other. All are welcome.”
To find out more, please visit our Creative Space Facebook group.
The Chaplaincy serves staff and students of University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University and University of Law (Leeds). Leeds Beckett University maintains a Service Level Agreement with the Universities Chaplaincy in Leeds for the provision of chaplaincy support for students and colleagues here.
What we can offer:
Chaplains at the Universities Chaplaincy in Leeds can support you or accompany you on occasions such as:
- you’re finding university life difficult and need someone to talk to
- you need time to think
- you need help in times of crisis
- you need to make a decision and need support in doing so
- you regret what has happened and need to move on
- someone has died and you need support
- you want to deepen your spiritual experience
- you have personal struggles or relationship problems.
Chaplains have links with specialist sources of help within the universities in Leeds and can help you to access appropriate support.
Additionally, the Chaplaincy offers hospitality, a space to be and opportunities for reflection and for Christian worship and spiritual development where this is appropriate.
Who we are:
Read more about the Chaplaincy here:
Universities Chaplaincy in Leeds | Universities Chaplaincy in Leeds (unichaplaincy.org.uk)
The Chaplaincy team is made up of chaplains from a variety of Christian denominations. It is part of their ethos that they offer pastoral support to people of all faiths and none. Where faith specific help is sought by people of another faith, chaplains will do our best to signpost appropriately.
The whole Chaplaincy team serves Leeds Beckett but Rev Melvyn Kelly is the first point of contact for Leeds Beckett.
Melvyn is an ordained Methodist minister and serves as the Lead Chaplain to Leeds Beckett. Melvyn is an associate member of staff sitting within Student Services and has a seat on the Equality Diversity and Inclusion committee.
Where to find us:
The Chaplaincy has two main offices:
Our main office is 10 minutes walk from City campus at the Emmanuel Centre, Woodhouse Lane, LS2 9HG at the entrance to University of Leeds campus. This office is staffed Monday to Friday and we welcome people just dropping in.
My Leeds Beckett office and Chaplaincy room is on Headingley campus in the Priestley Building PRG13.
How to contact us:
Lead Chaplain: Revd Melvyn J Kelly melvyn.kelly@leedsbeckett.ac.uk Tel.: 0113 812 2010
Headingley Campus Room PRG13
Chaplaincy Admin.: Tel.: 0113 343 5071
The Chaplaincy also offers an out of hours service on 07780 613 862 – the duty chaplain will answer if available or will return your call.
We are really pleased to be working in partnership with Governors for Schools, a national education charity that matches skilled and committed volunteers with schools in need of governors. Schools need people who can support the board with a variety of skills such as finance, education and HR. But it’s not just specific skills that boards need; they also need more general experience, including negotiation and leadership. Governors work at a strategic level and don’t get involved in the operational running of the school. Instead, governors challenge the headteacher by asking questions, looking at data and probing anomalies, and making sure money is well spent. Governors are also a source of support for the headteacher, often bringing expertise in areas outside of a teaching remit. By volunteering as a school governor, your experience could benefit hundreds of children and young people. You can also benefit by gaining valuable CPD experience. View the upcoming dates and booking details. If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering with Governors for School, please email pod@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.
The Governors for Schools website is also brimming with resources to help governors improve their knowledge of the education system and best practices in governance. If you have a moment to spare, we encourage you to watch recordings of previous webinars, explore our vast archive of articles, or embark on a new eLearning course.
