OUR AIMS
By inviting every university and college to encourage all their students and staff to participate, we aim to support young adult mental health, reduce isolation and improve mental health and fitness by;
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Uniting the HE and FE Sector through a UK-wide inclusive BRIT Challenge
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Delivering inspiration through our BRIT Ambassadors
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Raising funds for our Mental Health Charity Partners and
encouraging fundraising activity to support the charity sector
We aim to achieve this through the three aims;
THE BRIT
CHALLENGE
The vision of the British Inspiration Trust’s annual BRIT Challenge is to improve the mental health and fitness of young adults and students throughout the UK and raise vital funds for our partner mental health charities.
With the support of Education Governing Bodies to help engage every University and College Leadership Team in the UK, we are inviting every UK university, college and Student Union to register and complete the BRIT Challenge. The bigger the team, the more awareness, and funds, we will raise.
Our aspiration is for as many young adults and students as possible to be encouraged to take part.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, universities, colleges and Students' Unions found creative ways to engage students and staff who were working remotely. Thank you to every student and staff member for taking part in the BRIT 2021 Challenge. We will continue to designed the annual BRIT Challenge for organisations and teams to participate in their own unique way and unite in support of young adult mental health.
Some universities and colleges will decide to enter one team for the whole organisation, whereas others may decide to enter multiple teams for each campus, department or SU sports team, club or society.
We know this is an extraordinarily challenging time for everyone and therefore appreciate all your support to raise vital funds for charities who provide support to students and young adults who need their help.
UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE ENGAGEMENT
DONORS AND SPONSORS
Donating to or sponsoring the British Inspiration Trust will help enable us to improve young adult mental health and fitness in the UK through our BRIT Challenges.
With funding, the support from our Charity, Education and Sport Partners, and through the relationships we have built with universities, colleges and Student Unions, we are engaging with every UK university and college and encouraging the millions of students and staff in the UK to take part in our annual inclusive BRIT Challenge.
We hope that donors, philanthropists, businesses and corporations see the potential UK-wide impact we are having on raising funds for our partner mental health charities and improving young adult mental health and fitness; both of which are vitally important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Together, we have the ability to be collectively powerful.
“Liverpool John Moores University were delighted to host the BRIT Founder, Phil Packer, and introduce him to our Board of Governors, Student Union President, students and staff as part of the BRIT 2020 Row Britannia 5-month tour of the UK. We entered a team and championed the challenge in the City of Liverpool and North West to encourage other universities and colleges to take part. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our students were unable to complete the challenge and reach their fundraising target.
We are thrilled that BRIT have spent lockdown and the summer speaking to universities, colleges, education and sport governing bodies and their charity partners to come back with another fully inclusive, flexible feelgood fundraiser that will take place in 2021. Our university will encourage all of our students to take part in the BRIT 2021 Challenge, be that on campus or at home, to both improve their mental health and raise vital funds for BRIT’s partner mental health charities.”
Professor Ian G Campbell
Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive
Liverpool John Moores University
“Buckinghamshire New University was delighted to take part in BRIT’s 2020 Row Britannia Challenge. Our students and staff joined together in this inspirational event which saw the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Braisby rowing alongside our students to help raise funds for charities providing mental health support to young adults.
We were thrilled that BRIT delivered inspiration, excitement and encouragement to everyone who took part by coordinating visits from their founder, Phil Packer MBE; Paralympic Gold Medallist and Bucks alumni, Naomi Riches MBE; and presenter & former gymnast, Gabby Logan MBE.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly compounded mental health challenges for many people. We remain committed to supporting our University community of students and staff to ensure they look after their mental health as they would their physical health.
With the uncertainty of what 2021 will bring, a feel-good fundraising event will provide an opportunity for our students and staff to come together and participate in another exciting and inclusive initiative. We’re looking forward to entering the BRIT 2021 Challenge so that Team Bucks can do their bit to raise vital funds for mental health charities.
We urge every UK university, college and students’ union to join us and help to make a difference through the BRIT 2021 Challenge.”
Professor Nick Braisby
Vice-Chancellor
Buckinghamshire New University
Tamsin Grainger
President
BUCKS Students’ Union
Dr Michael Hipkins
Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor
Buckinghamshire New University
Professor Paul Morgan
Head of School
Buckinghamshire New University
“BRIT’s vision is to support young adult mental health through their UK-wide events. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the mental health challenges that young adults face and, due to restrictions, is affecting their participation in sporting and fundraising activities. Sport has the power to drive change. BRIT is inviting the 450 UK universities and colleges to embrace the BRIT 2021 Challenge and share this exciting feel-good fundraising opportunity with their students so they can take part safely, be that on campus or at home. I hope every Student Union will champion and take on the BRIT 2021 Challenge.”
Danielle Brown MBE
Double Paralympic Gold Medallist
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Uniting the HE and FE Sector through a UK-wide inclusive BRIT Challenge
The annual BRIT Challenge is designed to be completed by individuals working as a team to cover each year's distance by either hand-cycling, cycling, wheelchair pushing, swimming, walking, jogging, running, rowing or paddling (canoeing, kayaking or paddle-boarding).
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Delivering inspiration through our BRIT Ambassadors
British Sporting Icons will be invited to join us as BRIT Ambassadors and choose a university or college to visit that they attended, are affiliated to or live/work near. They will be asked to encourage, enthuse and inspire students to take on the BRIT Challenge and champion young adult mental health.
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Raising funds
for our
Mental Health Charity Partners
The Leadership Teams at every university and college will be asked to support their students’ fundraising efforts by engaging local & regional media, encouraging their business communities to sponsor/donate and inviting their alumni to help their student body to reach their fundraising target.
TEAM SUCCESSES
Two of our BRIT Challenges enabled us to tour the UK over a combined 18 month period and visit over 400 universities, colleges and institutions. We gained valuable knowledge and experience from students and staff of the many ways that universities, colleges and student unions support charities and embrace challenges.
We saw that each university, college and student union has a wealth of energy and determination when fundraising for charities and their alumni, philanthropic networks and professional resources often compliment the great ideas, activities, enthusiasm and team-spirit of their student bodies. Our BRIT Challenges are designed to unite the goodwill of every UK university, college and Students' Union and invite them to have a collectively powerful impact.
Advice from universities and colleges has enabled us to design the annual BRIT Challenge and ensure it is flexible for every university, college and Student' Union so they can make their unique contribution as successful as possible in supporting young adult mental health. Over the past two years almost 180 university and college teams have taken part in the BRIT Challenge.
A whole university or college approach to mental health has been the most successful way to increase participation and raise funds.
Below are a few examples of BRIT Challenge successes;
The BRIT Challenge is an inclusive feel-good February fundraiser for the Higher Education and Further Education sectors. Every UK university, college and Students' Union are invited to register to take part, enter teams, and support student and staff participation, both on campus or at home.
The Challenge is designed to be completed by individuals working as a team to cover that year's distance (2022 will be 2,022 miles) by either hand-cycling, cycling, wheelchair pushing, swimming, walking, jogging, running, rowing or paddling (canoeing, kayaking or paddle-boarding).
Here are some examples of universities and colleges who took on the BRIT 2021 Challenge;