The next BRIT Challenge will start on
25th January 2025 & finish on 25th March 2025
SOUTH EAST
STEERING GROUP
By respecting and embracing existing mental health support and services, BRIT will work closely with universities, colleges, Students’ Unions, governing bodies and charities throughout the UK to facilitate a collaborative and proactive student, and staff, network.
Together, we will share best practice, provide opportunities to champion innovative mental health strategies and discuss ways to improve mental health provision both regionally and nationally.
The BRIT South East Regional Steering Group will;
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Provide a forum for students and staff to share both their activity and fundraising successes when taking on the BRIT Challenge
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Enable the annual BRIT Challenge to act as a catalyst to involve the student body in meaningful mental health promotion throughout our feel-good fundraiser and the year ahead
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Establish a student network that can share best practice of university and college mental health provision and support
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Facilitate a collaborative fellowship of students and staff that can direct a cohesive approach to supporting and improving young adult mental health and fitness throughout the UK.
A SOUTH EAST REGION-WIDE NETWORK OF STUDENTS & STAFF
BRIT have established a BRIT South East
Regional Steering Group.
BRIT Regional Steering Groups enable student, and staff, volunteers to represent every UK university and college, be integral to our vision, and both steer and guide our charity.
We want to ensure students, and staff, are at the heart of BRIT and will provide opportunities to join our BRIT Trustees’ Board and Chair, Co-Chair and Deputy Chair our 10 BRIT Regional Steering Groups.
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“The BRIT South East Regional Steering Group will bring together Student and Staff Representatives from every university and college in our region. Together, we will have the opportunity to share successful ways institutions have taken on the annual inclusive BRIT Challenge to ensure more teams take part, discuss ways of engaging students and staff of all abilities throughout the South East of England, explore ways of destigmatising mental health and share best practice for championing equality, diversity and inclusion.
It is a pleasure to volunteer my time, and support BRIT, as the Chair of the BRIT South East Regional Steering Group, for a three-year tenure, and I look forward to working with university and college student and staff representatives throughout the South East. Together we can grow our Steering Group and providing opportunities for students and staff to be integral to the success of the BRIT Challenge.
At the heart of everything we will be striving to achieve is supporting and improving young adult, student and staff mental health, fitness and wellbeing. I hope every university and college in the South East of England will share the opportunity for their staff and students to represent them on our BRIT Steering Group.”
Paul Carney
Director of Sport & Active Health
Canterbury Christ Church University
Chair of the BRIT South East Regional Steering Group
AIMS
The aims of the BRIT South East Regional Steering Group are to;
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Promote the annual BRIT Challenge to ensure that every university, college and Students’ Union have the opportunity to enter teams each year and encourage student and staff participation
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Encourage every university and college team to choose a second charity to fundraise for, alongside BRIT, in order to support local, regional and national charities
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Champion disability inclusion and invite students and staff of all abilities to take part
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Embrace the BRIT Challenge as a catalyst for promoting student services, mental health charities and support available to students and staff
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Reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by welcoming BRIT Ambassadors who will share their lived experience in order to encourage, enthuse, inspire and thank students and staff who participate in the BRIT Challenge
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Ask universities in each region to use their regional network to encourage and invite FE colleges to enter teams in the annual BRIT Challenge
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Encourage universities and colleges in each region to use their regional network to invite independent colleges and institutions who support students with disabilities and Special Needs to enter teams in the annual BRIT Challenge
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Conduct meaningful discussion in order to identify and proactively champion innovative and successful mental health strategies that can be shared across their region and feed into an annual BRIT national forum to promote positive action around young adult and student mental health and fitness.
COORDINATION
A university and college have been asked to Chair and Co-Chair the BRIT South East Regional Steering Group that will comprise of;
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Chair – Member of staff from a university (a 3-year tenure)
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Co-Chair - Member of staff from a college (a 3-year tenure)
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Deputy Chair - Student Opportunity (a 1, 2 or 3-year tenure)
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Representatives from every university and college in that region (minimum of a 1-year tenure).
COMPOSITION
The BRIT Founder and Non-Paid CEO will work closely with the Chair and Co-Chair on a strategy to promote the invitation for students and staff from every university and college to join the BRIT South East Regional Steering Group.
In addition to BRIT Ambassadors being invited to deliver inspirational talks, we hope to secure long-term support from;
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Regional university and college (staff or student) mental health, wellbeing or sport networks.
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BRIT’s existing network of university or college staff (and students).
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Association of Colleges (AoC) Area Directors.
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AMOSSHE.
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NAMSS.
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Natspec.
CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR
We are delighted that Canterbury Christ Church University and Chichester College Group (CCG) have kindly agreed to Chair and Co-Chair the BRIT South East Regional Steering Group
Paul Carney, Director of Sport & Active Health, at Canterbury Christ Church University is Chair of the
BRIT South East Regional Steering Group and Lisa Humphreys, Associate Principal Students/Customers, at Chichester College Group is the Co-Chair.
“I am delighted to be supporting the BRIT Challenge again and the important work BRIT does to raise awareness and much needed funds for Mental Health and wellbeing."
Lisa Humphreys
Associate Principal Students/Customers
Chichester College Group (CCG)
Executive Board Member NAMSS
Co-Chair of the BRIT South East Regional Steering Group
“Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) and Christ Church Students’ Union (CCSU) have supported British Inspiration Trust events and campaigns for many years now and I am delighted that we will continue to embrace the annual BRIT Challenge to support and improve the mental health, fitness and wellbeing of our students and staff.
Between the 23rd January and 23rd March, CCCU and CCSU will be delivering a wealth of inclusive activities for our students and staff to participate in, raise funds for BRIT and Student Minds, and use the BRIT Challenge as a way of helping to destigmatise mental health.
Over the past three years, almost 250 university and college teams have taken part in the BRIT Challenge and this year almost 150 more have already registered to take part. To encourage university staff from every department to participate, I believe that Vice-Chancellors need to step forward and set an example on the importance of looking after our wellbeing. Whether that is completing a mile of a BRIT Cycling Challenge mile as I did or finding another way to take part, yours and your Leadership Team’s support is vital to ensure the whole university are aware of the opportunity to take part in the BRIT Challenge and encouraged to do so.
I hope every UUK, Guild HE and Independent HE Vice-Chancellor, and College Principal, joins me in completing at least a mile towards their institution’s BRIT Challenge efforts. There is still time for every university to embrace the BRIT Challenge and many are doing so between the 1st March and 23rd March for 23 days of activity; it would be an extraordinary show of unity around student and staff wellbeing if we, as HE and FE Leaders, complete a BRIT Challenge mile together on University Mental Health Day.”
Professor Rama Thirunamachandran
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Canterbury Christ Church University
“Over the past three years, almost 250 university and college teams have taken part in the BRIT Challenge and this year almost 150 more have already registered to take part. I am delighted that Solent University is embracing the annual BRIT Challenge as an inclusive event to support and improve the mental health, fitness and wellbeing of our students and staff of all abilities.
I was thrilled to launch the BRIT Challenge by walking the first mile together with our Chancellor Theo Paphitis and Pro Chancellor Phil Cotton. Many of our Honorary Doctors, external stakeholders, cadets, students and staff joined me on the day and together we reached the first 23 miles of our 2023 mile target.
Between the 23rd January and 23rd March, Solent is encouraging all our students and staff to participate in any activities to destigmatise mental health and raise funds for BRIT and Solent Mind."
Professor Karen Stanton FRSA
Vice-Chancellor
Solent University, Southampton
Winston Alla, Union President for Solent Students’ Union, took part in the BRIT Challenge 2023 by rowing for 23 minutes alongside colleague Steph Stangroom, VP Wellbeing for Solent Students’ Union, on the 23rd January for the launch of the Solent University Southampton and Solent Students' Union's BRIT Challenge.
“It was an honour to take part in the BRIT Challenge 2023 with Steph. The money raised across January, February and March will help fund two amazing charities, BRIT and Solent Mind, and I would strongly encourage all students and staff to take part in the annual challenge in a way that is best for them.
Mental health and wellbeing is incredibly important and Solent Students’ Union is here to offer support for all Solent students.”
Winston Alla
Union President
Solent Students' Union
Solent University, Southampton
