Our initiatives
On this page you can find our School's ED&I initiatives.
Lab Babysitting Service
The Lab Babysitting Service was first piloted in our School as one of our Athena SWAN initiatives. The service aims at supporting staff members taking long-term leave by arranging for specialist oversight of their lab, allowing their research to continue during their absence. You can access more information about this service by contacting the School's Director of Research.
Pay It Forward
Have you ever wondered if anyone has experienced similar work-based issues to you, such as taking a career break or how to write your thesis or fellowship application? Would you like to talk to someone in confidence about work related queries such as work/life balance or disability and working?
Pay It Forward is an initiative of our School to provide mentoring and support for anyone who may want to draw on the past experiences of others. The scheme may be used just for a one-off chat or for long-term support and is open to all. All discussion are in the strictest confidence. Download the Pay-it-forward (Office document, 43kB) directory to see a list of topics currently covered by the scheme and the members of the School who are willing to 'pay it forward'.
If you would like to Pay It Forward yourself and be part of the contact directory or have other topics to suggest for inclusion please contact the ED&I Officer.
Community and social events
We collaborate closely with other Schools in the Faculty of Life Science on events and initiatives to strenghten our communities and raise awareness on a variety of topics. Events and activities have included a Life Science Celebrating Pride Morning as well as an exhibition during LGBT+ History Month, wellbeing activities during Mental Health Awareness week, Labs Bake Offs and cultural celebrations.
Wellbeing
To support the wellbeing of our staff, we developed initiatives like on-site head/neck/shoulder massage sessions and yoga classes. Yoga classes are held every Tuesday between 6-7pm on Zoom and are open to all abilities. A small donation of £2 is suggested. For more information on yoga classes please contact Paul Chadderton.
*Please note massage sessions are momentarily suspended due to Covid-19 measures. We are hoping to start again once it is safe*
We also take part in University-wide initiatives, such as the Mentally Healthy Universities pilot project, to challenge stigma, change perceptions of mental health and raise awareness within the workplace. As part of the project we have a Mental Health Champion within our School.
Get in touch
If you have any comments, suggestions or are simply interested in getting involved in our ED&I activities, please contact the ED&I Officer.
