Keeping health and wellbeing at the heart of UON

The Wellbeing Community, established in 2018, is a University of Northampton (UON) initiative which pulls together the expertise and knowledge of professionals across the University to support, improve and promote physical and mental health and the work environment at UON.

The Wellbeing Community has three interlocking strands – mental health, sport and physical activity, campus and work environment – that ensure health and wellbeing are a clear focus of what the University does for its students and staff.

The work of the Community also provides research opportunities and enables is to measure the impact of these important initiatives.

Recent health and wellbeing achievements include:

Mental health

We have continued to grow our provision of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for the community and our students and staff. Last year, more than 1,400 members of the community, students and UON staff received some form of MHFA training. We also fully supported Uni Mental Health Day and have a full programme of activities in train for March 9th for our next event

We currently have 16 MHFA instructors who provide training across staff and students. The network of ‘MHFAiders’ is at over 150 with regular contact maintained through a dedicated portal. Over 45 have received refresher training to maintain these vital skills.

The University also supported BBC Radio Northampton’s inaugural ‘celebration of mental health support’ event Headfest. Students and staff gave talks and practical workshops covering opening up about anxiety, the science behind bereavement and ‘crash courses’ in mental health and stress reduction.

Campus and work environment

Our Security and Community Safety Team is part of a county-wide effort to enhance safety for women and girls across the town. The Community Safety Partnership received £813,000 in Home Office funding to support practical crime prevention measures to tackle violence against women and girls across the County.

Plants thought extinct or rare for the County can be found at Waterside thanks to the creation and maintenance of the campus, following the findings of Northamptonshire’s Recorder of Botany.

Sport and Physical Activity

The Active Quarter for Northampton was approved last month. The University has been at the centre of this ambitious scheme to increase access to local parks and develop and enhance physical activity opportunities for all. UON researchers are currently talking with members of the public to shape the Active Quarter, including plans for a walking and cycling ‘hub’ at Delapre Abbey.

The Northampton Energy Elite Athlete Scholarship supports up to 15 students each year, from any course across the University, who play sport at county level or above to get the most out of their sport. There were many successes last year, including:

• Maisie Summers-Newton (pictured, top right): The Paralympic swimming sensation achieved a phenomenal run of successes, including four world record times in the 100m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley, 100m Breaststroke and 400m Freestyle.
• Zaine McKenzie represented GB Ice Hockey U20 at the world championship; the GB Squad won silver.
• Sophie Smith finished second for snowboarding at the British Universities & Colleges Sport. She also won her first international medals winning a gold in the Big Air and a silver in slopestyle at the Federation of International Skiing and Snowboarding competition.

Deborah Mattock, Executive Director of HR, Marketing and International Relations, is co-Chair of the Wellbeing Community initiative and says: “We may be just a few months into the new year, but it’s important to look back on the range of health and wellbeing projects delivered at University of Northampton in support of our staff and students.

“And others are already shaping up, with Northampton’s Active Quarter – a new and exciting development for the town of which we are a key partner – approved and our own Park Run due to start very soon, just two of the new additions to the health and wellbeing offering at UON.”