Wellbeing in the College of Social Sciences

Sophie Sinclair

Co-Chair, CoSS Wellbeing Taskforce

I developed the Wellbeing Taskforce after leading the College’s Birmingham Professional programme and realising the demand from colleagues for activities and information to support their wellbeing at work. Throughout my career and HR management studies, I have developed a strong interest in understanding how working life can be more engaging, fulfilling and rewarding and the added value that prioritising wellbeing has for individuals, organisations and society as, and how research supports this vital agenda.  It’s great to be part of a College where this agenda is a priority, and we have the support and opportunity to develop the wellbeing offer through the Taskforce, for the benefit of all of our colleagues.

Daniel Wheatley

Co-Chair, CoSS Wellbeing Taskforce

I believe that consideration of wellbeing is central to the effective operation of the workplace. My research focuses on workplace wellbeing including the quality of work, work-life balance, flexible working arrangements, spatial dimensions of work including work-related travel and broader aspects of wellbeing including uses of leisure time. The Wellbeing Taskforce offers an important opportunity to apply our respective research and practical experiences to enhance the wellbeing of all those working within the College of Social Sciences. 

Louise Reardon

Lecturer in Governance and Public Policy

I’ve done a lot of research on the wellbeing agenda, which has exposed me to the strong evidence base around the importance of the workplace to our personal and collective happiness and wellbeing. It is great to be part of the College’s Taskforce, which fully recognises this too and provides me with the opportunity to put some of my research knowledge into practice to help support real and positive change towards improving wellbeing within the College in the short and long term.

Debbie Caine

HR Advisor

As well as having a personal interest in the topic of wellbeing, my role at the University gives me an insight into the wellbeing of staff across the College. I am always motivated to try to find ways to support staff in any way that I can, and being part of the taskforce gives me the opportunity to feed into the work being done across the College to positively influence the experience of others and to make a difference.

Previlla Devi

HEFi Digital for CoSS

I was excited at the prospect of working with the taskforce and helping develop wellbeing initiatives and incentives with emphasis on commitment to wholly embedding a wellness culture as a core component to everyday life inside and outside of work.  For my own wellbeing, I love playing rounders with the local grassroots community team ‘Lightwood’s Rounders A team’ and have done so for the past 5 years which we play in Lightwoods Park, Bearwood and it’s a great way to meet a diverse group of people from all backgrounds and all ages.  Playing evokes memories of my youth when I played in a team at school and it certainly was and still is a welcome escape from life’s challenges and every day routine allowing me to completely switch off and enjoy the game.

Vickie Glynn

College Deputy Wellbeing Manager

My name is Vickie Glynn, and I’m the College Deputy Wellbeing Manager supporting the Wellbeing Team in the Business School. Having experienced my own mental health challenges, the taskforce provides an opportunity to contribute to making positive change within the College that will support the wellbeing of staff. 

Lee Gregory

Senior Lecturer in Social policy

I set up King's Heath Running Club's first ever 5k programme in January 2015. I called this “To 5k and beyond” for two reasons. First, most people were like me before they started running. They were not necessarily “couch potatoes”, they have some level of activity. Second, whilst the 5k is the target the club runs a 4 mile club route each week so I wanted to help new runners not just run 5k but to get to 4 miles so they could run with club. Hence the name (and Buzz Lightyear based memes to promote the programme. Since the programme started somewhere between 100-150 people have now completed 5k for the first time – many going on to 10k and half marathons (and a few marathons). But each had their own running goal I helped them to attain. 

Chloe Carpenter

Communications and Events Officer

I've always been passionate about mental health and ending the stigma attached to talking about it. I believe that through small kindnesses, both to ourselves and others, we can build up a strong foundation of mental positivity. I joined the taskforce because I can offer a set of skills ranging from video content creation to website building to creative design, and because I like working here and want to help to make it an even better place to work.

Ruth Frazer

Human Resources

Hannah Hogben

Human Resources

1/3 of our life is spent at work. With this in mind, it is more important than ever to get wellbeing in the workplace right. Over the last few years, I have experienced the toll that life can take on health and wellbeing and I wanted to join the taskforce to help tackle this issue head on. My role at the University places me in a unique position where I can talk openly with employees about wellbeing and the effect it is having on their daily lives, so it is important for me to be able to identify emerging themes and  work with the taskforce to help find solutions.

Jodie Hopewell

Birmingham Business School

I’ve always been an advocate for taking the time to look after yourself and do more of the things that you enjoy. When I did my Masters in Forestry I spent a lot of time researching the holistic benefits of outdoor spaces and the ways in which reconnecting with nature can help you to find your place in the world. I really enjoy spending time in the garden and it has been brilliant to be able to share that through the Taskforce in Gardeners Corner. We spend so much of our lives at work, it really is important that we take the time to connect with each other and prioritise our own wellbeing. When I joined the College I was really excited to see that wellbeing was on the agenda and I joined the Taskforce to help support and encourage all staff to do more of what they enjoy at work. 

Caroline Chapain

Birmingham Business School

Paul Stephen

Health and Safety

Maureen Smojkis

Lecturer in Mental Health

Natalie Jordan

Central College

Lorraine Gaytten

Central College