The next BRIT Challenge will start on
25th January 2025 & finish on 25th March 2025
OUR
BRIT
AMBASSADORS
Credit: Seven.video
Since the very beginning of the British Inspiration Trust’s journey, our work to support and improve young adult mental health and fitness has been underpinned by the voices of our BRIT Ambassadors who have lived experience that is valued and respected.
The BRIT Ambassador family is comprised of Olympians, Paralympians, Sports Personalities, Adventurers and Explorers who are uniting to support and improve young adult mental health throughout the UK. There are well over 550 universities, colleges and specialist colleges in the UK and our aspiration is to deliver inspiration to the young adults and students at every institution that participates in our annual BRIT Challenges. Over recent years, more than 200 Olympians, Paralympians, Sports Personalities, Adventurers and Explorers joined our BRIT Ambassador family.
BRIT Ambassadors are encouraged to visit universities and colleges of their choice during our annual BRIT Challenge; however, if they are competing, training or unable to travel, they will be providing video messages and support to students and young adults through social media.
WHY BRIT AMBASSADORS
JOIN US
Our BRIT Ambassadors understand the challenges, trauma and adversity that young adults face in their lives and champion our annual BRIT Challenge in order to invite universities, colleges, specialist colleges and Students’ Unions to embrace the opportunity to enter teams and encourage their students and staff to participate.
BRIT Ambassadors visit universities and/or colleges of their choice during the annual BRIT Challenge to enthuse and inspire students and staff to take part. They are committed to use their lived experience and profile to;
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Raise awareness of our annual inclusive BRIT Challenge and encourage participation.
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Visit the university and/or college of their choice during the annual BRIT Challenge and enthuse, inspire, encourage and thank students and staff for taking part.
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Reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.
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Champion disability inclusion and promote the annual BRIT Challenge so that students and staff of all abilities are aware of the opportunity to participate.
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Signpost students and staff to our website where we provide links to mental health charities who provide lifesaving support to young adults.
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Bring communities together and encourage fundraising to support local, regional and national charities.
HOW BRIT AMBASSADORS SUPPORT OUR VISION
Our BRIT Ambassadors are all determined to support and improve young adult mental health throughout the UK and are at the very heart of all we are aspiring to achieve.
BRIT Ambassadors support our vision to improve young adult mental health and fitness by;
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Encouraging and inspiring students and young adults, at universities, colleges and specialist colleges throughout the UK, to participate in the annual BRIT Challenge.
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Understanding how sharing their lived experience with students and young adults has the ability to inspire and encourage those who may need to seek mental health support.
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Uniting to both destigmatise mental health and have a positive impact on young adult mental health at their chosen university and/or college.
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Championing the annual BRIT Challenge and encouraging universities and colleges to embrace the opportunity to enter teams in order to invite students and staff of all abilities to participate.
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Assisting BRIT to deliver an annual feel-good fundraiser in order to encourage every university, college and Students’ Union to choose a charity of their choice to fundraise for, alongside BRIT, to support local, regional and national charities.
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Signposting young adults to our website where we champion charities that provide lifesaving mental health support including helpline numbers for the NHS, MindOut LGBTQ Mental Health Charity, Samaritans, Shout and PAPYRUS – Prevention of Young Suicide.
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Knowing how to access national and local suicide prevention and wellbeing resources for themselves and others.
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Developing an awareness of using safe and effective messaging when sharing their lived experience in order to inspire young adults to improve their mental health and fitness.
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Promoting Equality & Diversity and understanding that BRIT are committed to championing inclusion and have designed our annual BRIT Challenge to be inclusive in order to enable students and staff of all abilities to take part.
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Having an understanding of the impact of discrimination and disadvantage on many groups in society, especially those with protected characteristics, and being aware that every young adult, student and staff member is to be treated with dignity and respect to ensure they achieve their full potential, free of intentional or unintentional bias.
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Using their voices, and platforms, to champion disability inclusion and encouraging young adults and students with disabilities to feel empowered to participate in our annual BRIT Challenge by exploring the many ways they could take part; including wheelchair pushing, adaptive rowing and hand-cycling.
We are sincerely grateful to the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA), and Penny Fosten (Executive Lead at the NSPA), for sharing their research and use of NSPA Lived Experience Influencers that has enabled us to strengthen the impact of our BRIT Ambassadors and explain how they use their lived experience to support young adult mental health.
HOW WE SUPPORT
OUR BRIT AMBASSADOR FAMILY
We know that sharing lived experience with others could be emotionally challenging. With this in mind, we are striving to secure funding to establish structures to support the BRIT Ambassador family.
We have identified two Paralympic Gold medallists who are keen to fulfil roles to support our Founder & Non-Paid CEO and develop close relationships with all of our Ambassadors. This will enable us to maintain strong relationships, discuss wellbeing and ensure our BRIT Ambassadors feel supported by our charity and do not feel undue pressure or over-commit.
Our BRIT Ambassadors can contact our Founder & Non-Paid CEO about any concerns or questions they have.
With funding, we will support our BRIT Ambassador family by;
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Providing two Paralympic Gold medallists who will assist with BRIT Ambassador relationship management and the coordination of university and college visits.
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Delivering a quarterly BRIT Ambassador newsletter with information on mental health support groups and charities.
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Providing our BRIT Ambassadors with regular updates and information on the impact of their collectively powerful support and how they are improving young adult mental health.
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Offering opportunities to help shape our charity and improve ways of utilising their lived experience of our BRIT Ambassadors.
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Share BRIT Ambassador videos and presentations to assist with their own messaging and ways of sharing their inspirational stories.
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Signposting to organisations who provide training and opportunities for inspirational figures as they transition away from their sport and into civilian life.
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An online forum to share and reflect on the participation activities they are undertaking and to identify any needs that we can respond to in order to assist and support them.
INVITATION TO JOIN OUR BRIT AMBASSADOR FAMILY
We are inviting current and retired Olympians, Paralympians, Sports Personalities, Adventurers and Explorers to unite with us and join our BRIT Ambassador family in order to improve and support young adult mental health throughout the UK.
BRIT Ambassadors are encouraged to identify a university or college of their choice (that they attended, have links with or live near to) and support their annual BRIT Challenge efforts during the annual BRIT Challenge by visiting campuses and spending time with students and staff.
If they are unable to visit the university or college due to competitions, training or personal commitments, we encourage our BRIT Ambassadors to record a video message and support students on social media; we will help with the messaging and introduce our BRIT Ambassadors to their chosen university or college.
BRIT Ambassadors champion our work by raising awareness through their own social media accounts, providing quotes and interviews with the national and regional media and taking part in podcasts and videos to share their lived experience. Often this is coordinated by the university or college to strengthen regional community engagement and raise awareness of positive mental health and wellbeing.