The next BRIT Challenge will start on
25th January 2025 & finish on 25th December 2025
EASTERN
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 Eastern Region 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.
AN EASTERN REGION-WIDE NETWORK OF STUDENTS & STAFF
BRIT have established a BRIT Eastern
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.
“The BRIT Eastern Region Steering Group is an innovative initiative to bring together Student and Staff Representatives from every university, college and specialist college in our region.
Together, we will have the opportunity to share successful ways that the annual inclusive BRIT Challenge is being embraced and the many different activities that our institutions are delivering to engaging students and staff of all abilities throughout the East of England. We will also use our network to explore ways of destigmatising mental health and share wellbeing initiatives, strategies and best practice for championing equality, diversity and inclusion.
It is a pleasure to gift my time as the Chair of the BRIT Eastern Region Steering Group, for a three-year tenure, and I look forward to working with university and college student and staff representatives to grow our Steering Group.
I have seen first-hand, over a number of years now, how the BRIT Challenge can engage our students and staff to both support and improve their mental health, fitness and wellbeing. Furthermore, by uniting in the East of England, we have an extraordinary opportunity to raise vital funds for local, regional and national charities, and enable our students and staff to volunteer their time to deliver Acts of Kindness throughout our communities.”
Dr Dave Parry PhD
Director of Sport
University of Essex
Chair of the BRIT Eastern Region Steering Group
AIMS
The aims of the BRIT Eastern Region 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 Eastern Region 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 Eastern Region 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 The University of Essex and West Suffolk College have kindly agreed to Chair and Co-Chair the BRIT Eastern Region Steering Group
Dr Dave Parry, Director of Sport, at the University of Essex is Chair of the BRIT Eastern Region Steering Group and Anthony Harvey, Head of Sport, at West Suffolk College is the Co-Chair.
“I am delighted to be Co-Chair of the BRIT Eastern Region Steering Group to support young adult, student and staff mental health, wellbeing and fitness in our region.
With our Higher and Further Education institutions working together, we will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the support to our students and staff; especially those struggling with mental health and wellbeing challenges and who often feel isolated and alone.
I look forward to both inviting and encouraging student and staff representatives from every college to join our Regional Steering Group so that together we can share the many successful ways institutions have engaged, or are planning to engage, their students and staff in the annual BRIT Challenge to raise awareness, destigmatise mental health and raise vital funds for local, regional and national charities.
This is a great opportunity to collaborate, build a unique network within our region, and provide opportunities for our students and staff to be integral to shaping the work of the British Inspiration Trust and the success of the annual BRIT Challenge”.
Anthony Harvey
Head of Sport and Education & Childcare
West Suffolk College
Co-Chair of the BRIT Eastern Region Steering Group
