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BRIT
STEERING GROUPS

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.

 

BRIT Regional Steering Groups will;

 

  • Provide a forum for students and staff to share both their activity and fundraising successes when taking on the BRIT Challenge

 

  • 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 

 

  • Establish a student network that can share best practice of university and college mental health provision and support

 

  • 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 UK-WIDE NETWORK OF STUDENTS & STAFF

BRIT have established Regional Steering Groups in the eight regions of England and in Scotland and Wales, with Northern Ireland to follow. We also hope to engage the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney. We are also hoping to establish BRIT Steering Groups for Guild HE, Independent HE and Natspec.

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.

 

“The British Inspiration Trust’s annual inclusive BRIT Challenge has grown from strength to strength over the past three years and is having a positive impact on supporting and improving student and staff mental health and fitness, raising vital funds for charity and destigmatising mental health.

 

To engage with every UK university  and Students’ Union, and provide volunteer opportunities for students and staff, BRIT are implementing BRIT Regional Steering Groups.  Every year, a different university in each region will be asked to host a BRIT Steering Group and provide a Chair and student Co-Chair. Every university in each region will be invited to identify a representative to join their BRIT Steering Group.  

 

I hope every UK university will encourage a student or staff member, with a passion for improving young adult mental health, to represent them on their respective BRIT Regional Steering Group; they will be empowered to both grow and strengthen the annual BRIT Challenge and use this as an innovative opportunity to unite universities, colleges and Students’ Unions throughout the UK."

 

Alistair Jarvis CBE

Chief Executive

Universities UK

 

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AIMS

The aims of the BRIT Regional Steering Groups are to;

 

  • 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 in each region of England, and Scotland and Wales, will be asked to Chair and Co-Chair the BRIT Regional Steering Group that will comprise of;

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  • Chair – Member of staff from a university (a 3-year tenure)

 

  • 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)

 

  • 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 each Chair and Co-Chair on a strategy to promote the invitation for students and staff from every university and college to join their BRIT 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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  • Colleges Scotland.

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  • Sport Scotland.

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  • Scottish Student Sport.

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  • Colleges Wales/ColegauCymru.

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  • Sport Wales.

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  • Disability Sport Wales.

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  • London Higher.

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  • AMOSSHE.

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  • Natspec.

REGIONS 

The following universities and colleges have kindly agreed to Chair and Co-Chair BRIT Regional Steering Groups;

  • Scotland                                            - University of St Andrews and West Highland UHI

  • Wales                                                 - University of South Wales (USW) and Coleg Cymoedd

  • Greater London                               - Brunel University, London

  • Midlands (East and West)               - University of Birmingham and Loughborough College

  • East                                                    - University of Essex and West Suffolk College

  • North East                                        - Northumbria University and Newcastle College

  • North West                                       - University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Myerscough College

  • South East                                        - Canterbury Christ Church University and Chichester College Group (CCG)

  • South West                                       - University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE) and Cirencester College

  • Yorkshire and Humberside           - University of York and Sheffield College

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The University of Oxford will be hosting their own BRIT Steering Group to engage their colleges.

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We very much hope to secure support for a Regional Steering Group in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney.

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Colleges Scotland, Colleges Wales and AoC Area Directors will be supporting the BRIT Regional Steering Groups and encouraging student and staff representatives from FE Colleges to join;

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  • Scotland                                            - Colleges Scotland, Sport Scotland & Scottish Student Sport

  • Wales                                                 - College Wales, Sport Wales and Disability Sport Wales

  • Greater London                               - Mary Vine-Morris (AoC Area Director Greater London)

  • Midlands (East and West)               - Jen Hope (AoC Area Director East and West Midlands)

  • East                                                    - Hilary Clifford (AoC Area Director East of England)

  • North East                                        - Chris Nicholls (AoC Area Director North East and Yorkshire & Humber)

  • North West                                       - Richard Caulfield (AoC Area Director North West)

  • South East                                        - Gemma Baker (AoC Area Director South East)

  • South West                                       - Ian Munro (AoC Area Director South West)

  • Yorkshire and Humberside           - Chris Nicholls (AoC Area Director North East and Yorkshire & Humber)

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Support from the Association of Colleges (AoC), Colleges Scotland & Colleges Wales 

“The British Inspiration Trust’s aspiration to implement BRIT Regional Steering Groups is a great initiative to empower student and staff representatives from every college in England to be part of a powerful university, college and Students’ Union network that could have a hugely positive impact on student mental health and fitness throughout the UK. 

 

By using the BRIT Challenge as the catalyst, students and staff will have the ability to share best practice, and ideas, around improving young adult mental health and fitness, raising vital funds for charity and bring the Higher Education and Further Education sectors together in an annual feel-good fundraiser that becomes a firm fixture in the Calendar.

 

There has never been a more important time to proactively support and improve young adult mental health and fitness. I encourage every AoC college to engage in the annual BRIT Challenge and both support and support their BRIT Regional Steering Group.”

 

Richard Caulfield

Area Director (NW) and National Lead Mental Health

Association of Colleges

 

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"The University of St Andrews has supported British Inspiration Trust events and campaigns since 2012 and we are proud to partner with an organisation that espouses increased awareness of young adult mental health. By embracing the BRIT Challenge in Scotland, we can ensure this inclusive event continues to be delivered annually to support and improve the mental health and fitness of our students and staff. Over the past two and a half years, almost 250 university and college teams have taken part in this feel-good fundraiser and we are delighted to be taking on the BRIT Challenge again this year.

 

Saints Sport are pleased to be supporting BRIT to establish a Scotland Regional Steering Group for 2022/23. The aim is to grow this Steering Group and encourage student and staff representatives from every Scottish University and College to join. By encouraging every institution to enter teams in the BRIT Challenge, it aims to use the Challenge as a conduit to destigmatise mental health for students and staff throughout the academic year." 

 

Professor Sally Mapstone FRSE

Principal and Vice-Chancellor

University of St Andrews

 

OUTCOMES

By joining BRIT Regional Steering Groups, students and staff volunteers will be invited to;

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  • Embrace the annual BRIT Challenge at their university or college in order to increase participation and ensure students of all abilities have the opportunity to take part and improve their mental health and fitness

 

  • Ensure the annual BRIT Challenge is included in their university or college Calendar of Events as an inclusive feelgood fundraiser that can also act as a catalyst every year to complement their strategy and messaging to de-stigmatise mental health

 

  • Encourage their BRIT Regional Steering Group to act as a forum to share best practice, provide up to date information to build an interactive UK-wide BRIT Map displaying student support services and invite national charities and governing bodies to provide regional updates on services and support available to students

 

  • Work with their student bodies and institutions to promote and influence a positive mental health landscape and support BRIT Regional Steering Group Co-Chairs in developing content, blog posts and podcasts that both honour and champion proactive mental health provision in the universities, colleges and Students’ Unions within their region

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