BRIT REGIONAL STEERING GROUPS

BRIT has established Regional Steering Groups in the eight regions of England, and in Scotland and Wales, to ensure a student and staff member tasked with leading the BRIT Challenge at their university, college, or Students' Union, have the opportunity to share their plans, listen to others who have taken part before, and share best practice/successes.

BRIT REGIONAL STEERING GROUPS

“The AoC have supported The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT)’s aspiration to invite every college to take part in their BRIT Challenge for over five years and the charity have received over 550 university and college entries.

Across our AoC regions, we have also championed BRIT Regional Steering Groups; 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 have the ability to share effective practice, and ideas, around improving mental health and fitness within our learning communities, raising vital funds for charity and bring the Higher Education and Further Education sectors together.

We are also delighted that representatives from AoC are invited to join the BRIT Round Table – a UK-wide initiative to gather representatives from every Education Agency and Governing Body to come together with an aim of steering and guiding BRIT so that the charity provides a framework and opportunity that benefits all of our members.”

Jen Hope

Area Director (East and West Midlands) and Senior Policy Lead (Mental Health)

Association of Colleges

To ensure BRIT Regional Steering Group meetings are led professionally, our aspiration is for leaders in Higher and Further Education to volunteer to Chair and Co-Chair our online Steering Group gatherings.

The input from students and staff members representing their university, college, and Students' Union/Association/Guild, is integral to our vision for them to both steer and guide our charity.

BRIT continues to work closely with universities, colleges, Students’ Unions, governing bodies, and charities, throughout the UK to facilitate collaborative and proactive student and staff regional networks.

Together, we will share best practice, provide opportunities to champion innovative mental health strategies, and discuss ways to evolve the BRIT Challenge to support students and staff of all abilities.

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

STEERING GROUP 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:

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

Co-Chair
Member of staff from a college (a 3-year tenure)

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).

(In Greater London, we work closely with London Higher who champion the BRIT Challenge within their established networks).

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 current BRIT relationships with university and college staff, Education Agencies and Governing Bodies will also champion BRIT Challenge Steering Groups.

Scotland - Glasgow Clyde College.
Wales - Coleg Cymoedd.
Greater London - Currently supported by London Higher and the AoC.
Midlands (East and West) - University of Birmingham.
East - University of Essex and West Suffolk College.
North East - Northumbria University and Newcastle College.
North West - University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
South East - Buckinghamshire New University.
South West - University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE).
Yorkshire and Humberside - University of York.

Institutions leading on the BRIT Regional Steering Groups are:

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.

Champion disability inclusion and invite students and staff of all abilities to take part in the hope that Higher Education institutions will embrace the Disabled Student Commitment.

Embrace the BRIT Challenge as a catalyst for promoting student services, mental health charities, and support available to students and staff.

Ask universities in each region to use their regional network to encourage and invite FE colleges and Specialist Colleges to enter teams in the annual BRIT Challenge and coordinate inclusive wellbeing activities together.

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 education needs to enter teams in the annual BRIT Challenge.

Conduct meaningful discussion in order to identify and proactively champion innovative and successful BRIT Challenge ideas and plans 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 wellbeing.

AIMS OF THE BRIT STEERING GROUPS

BRIT Regional Steering Groups will:

Provide a forum for students and staff to share their BRIT Challenge Inclusive Wellbeing Activities, Fundraising Strategy, and their Acts of Kindness in the Community/Volunteering initiatives.

Enable the annual BRIT Challenge to act as a catalyst to involve students and staff in the promotion of mental health, inclusivity, wellbeing, and civic duty, and share their initiatives within their region.

Establish a regional network that can share best practice and encourage collaboration between Students' Unions, universities, colleges, and specialist colleges.

Facilitate a collaborative fellowship of students and staff that can be built on year by year through continuity and networking.

University - Edinburgh Napier University Flyer.jpeg

BENEFITS OF REPRESENTING YOUR UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OR STUDENTS' UNION

Student and Staff Volunteers will:

Have the opportunity to be integral to their institution's BRIT Challenge Coordination Group when they embrace the annual BRIT Challenge at their university or college. Their understanding of best practice will result in increased participation and ensure that evidence of participation can support internal and external strategies such as the Disabled Student Commitment.

Ensure the annual BRIT Challenge is included in their university or college Calendar of Events and be used as as a catalyst to complement student and staff wellbeing strategies, civic duty, volunteering, and student and staff engagement.

Be encouraged to use the BRIT Regional Steering Group as a forum to share best practice.

Enable the promotion and influence of a positive mental health and inclusive wellbeing landscape by developing content, blog posts and podcasts that both honour and champion proactive mental health provision in their universities, colleges and Students’ Unions.

Use this as a Volunteering Opportunity for professional and personal development.

With Support From
UNIVERSITIES UK

"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

Former Chief Executive

Universities UK

UHI North, West and Hebrides

“Having supported the work of BRIT, and embraced the BRIT Challenge at UHI West Highland, for a number of years now, I am looking forward to reaching further with this great initiative. I am delighted to Co-Chair the BRIT Scotland Regional Steering Group to support and improve young adult, student and staff mental health, wellbeing and fitness throughout Scotland.

The BRIT Scotland Regional Steering Group will provide an exciting and innovative opportunity for students and staff to come together across Scotland and share exciting ways that our institutions are taking on the annual BRIT Challenge, explore how we can engage students and staff of all abilities, destigmatise mental health and champion equality, diversity and inclusion.

Fiona Grant

Director Curriculum and Student Experience and Senior Responsible Officer (West) / Director of Academic Affairs

Northumbria University Newcastle

“The aim of the BRIT North East Regional Steering Group is to bring together Student and Staff Representatives from every university and college in our region. Whether working together or alone the Steering Group will provide 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 North East, explore ways of destigmatising mental health and share best practice for championing equality, diversity and inclusion.

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 North East will share the opportunity for their staff and students to represent them on our BRIT Steering Group”.

Daryl Dixon

Head of Sport and Co-Chair of the BRIT North East Regional Steering Group

Cirencester College

The BRIT South West 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 methods that institutions have used in the annual inclusive BRIT Challenge. By doing so, our ambition is for more teams to take part, discuss ways of engaging students and staff of all abilities throughout the South West. We want to explore ways of destigmatising mental health and share best practice for championing equality, diversity and inclusion.

BRIT are taking a proactive step forward to support young adults leading a holistic lifestyle which is imperative for everyone to gain easy access on support and guidance around mental and physical health.

It is a pleasure to support BRIT, as the Co-Chair of the BRIT South West Regional Steering Group. I look forward to working with university and college student and staff representatives throughout the South West. Our shared ambition is to grow our Steering Group and providing opportunities for students and staff to be integral to the success of the BRIT Challenge.

Jess Smith

Enrichment Lead, Co-Chair of the BRIT South West Regional Steering Group

University of Lancashire

“The BRIT North West Regional Steering Group is an inspiring opportunity to bring together Student and Staff Representatives from every university and college in our region to share plans of how they are taking on the annual BRIT Challenge, discuss ways of engaging students and staff of all abilities throughout the North West, explore ways of destigmatising mental health and build a network that we will all benefit from as institutions.

I look forward to supporting BRIT as Chair of the BRIT North West Regional Steering Group, for a three-year tenure, and encouraging the sister universities in our region to embrace the annual BRIT Challenge and make it a firm fixture in our Calendar of Events.

Supporting and improving young adult, student and staff mental health, fitness and wellbeing is our core business and a priority for every institution. I hope every university and college in the North West will share the opportunity for their staff and students to represent them on our BRIT Steering Group.”

Dr Adrian Ibbetson

Director of Sport, Chair of the BRIT North West Regional Steering Group

Coleg y Cymoedd

“I am thrilled to be Co-Chairing the BRIT Wales Regional Steering Group to support young adult, student and staff mental health, wellbeing and fitness.

Having worked in Further Education in Wales for over 30 years, I look forward to inviting colleagues at colleges throughout Wales to identify staff and student representatives from their institutions to join our Regional Steering Group and building a legacy network in Wales to steer and guide the work of the British Inspiration Trust and ensure the annual BRIT Challenge is a success at every Welsh College.

Together we have the opportunity to ensure the BRIT Challenge has a positive impact on how we improve mental health and wellbeing, explore how we can engage students and staff of all abilities, destigmatise mental health and champion equality, diversity and inclusion throughout Wales.”

Andy Johns

Cyn Is-Bennaeth/Former Vice Principal

University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol

“I’m happy to support BRIT and look forward to working with university and college student and staff representatives throughout the South West on The BRIT South West Regional Steering Group. BRIT’s objectives are broader than the challenge and we hope to support and improve young adult, student and staff mental health, fitness and wellbeing, destigmatise mental health and share best practice for championing equality, diversity and inclusion.

The steering group is an opportunity to share best practice with other FE and HE institutions in the area.

I hope every university and college in the South West of England will share the opportunity for their staff and students to represent them on our BRIT Steering Group.”

Alex Isaac

Head of Sport
Co-Chair of the BRIT South West Regional Steering Group