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Welcome to the final Newsletter of the 2024! This year has been jam packed full of various events, activities, clubs and achievements that have taken place around our college, and I thank everybody who has gotten involved and for all of the hard work that has been put into their coursework and exams.
Therefore, so much has taken place throughout December, all of this leading up to the Christmas break. I hope you all enjoy the break once it arrives!
Myself and some of the SU Officers gathered and had a photograph taken at the Christmas tree inside of City College this month, and it's been lovely to spend time with every single Officer this year and for everybody to get to know each other. Myself and these Officers have had the opportunity to get involved in various activities around college, allowing us to be visible towards all students. Moving forward, I would like for more opportunities to be made open for students, so that we all make a positive impact together across Sheffield College. If you as students continue to have your say and have a voice, the outcome of 2024 will cause this 2025 to head in a positive direction.
To wrap up 2024, this newsletter includes pieces from some of the SU Officers, as well as students who have written about what has been important to them this year. There will be more information as to what is coming up next year, including a mental health campaign ran by the SU, a range of clubs being ran, Health and Wellbeing Events, activities to impact Environmental Sustainability and so much more.
I'm looking forward to what 2025 has to bring!
✩ Mental Health Campaign ✩
✩ Mental Health Campaign ✩
Look out for the Mental Health Campaign around Sheffield College in February!
If you want to get involved, email us at studentsunion@sheffcol.ac.uk
What can you do to support your mental health over Christmas?
Make sure that you get out and about over the Christmas break to boost your mental health and recharge your batteries ready for 2025. Natural light is vital to our physical and mental health, and regularly getting out in daylight can have a positive impact on sleep, mood and performance throughout your studies. A little sunlight goes a long way due to how it can improve your physical and mental wellbeing, so it is important to make sure that you're getting outside as much as possible, or even making sure that you're sitting close to a window to ensure you're being exposed to daylight in the morning. Even small distances can have a dramatic effect on light levels, and aiming to exercise outside everyday, even if that's just going for a walk, will allow more sunlight into your daily routine.
The result of this is that it elevates your mood, lowers your blood pressure, provides you with more Vitamin D and increases your motivation and learning, also increasing reaction times. Listening to your body and going to bed when you start to feel tired, and to try to not use any screen based devices for at least an hour before bedtime, will support your duration and quality of sleep.
Lack of sunlight and over exposure to light sources, in particular screen based devices, is associated with poor sleep, depression, anxiety and addiction as well as physical illnesses. The brighter your daylight exposure, the more melatonin you produce at night. More melatonin will reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and result in a deeper, less disrupted sleep.
Clubs and Societies
Make sure to look out for our Clubs and Societies around college. We have more clubs coming up in 2025 for you to look forward to! Please email the Students Union if you have any ideas for clubs you would like to see that will create a positive improvement to your college experience.
Maisie Bond, Hillsborough College student has won bronze in the 10m synchro and silver in the 10m individual at the Junior Diving World Championships in Brazil. Maisie discusses her favourite part about this experience as well as how this impacted her life.
I’m Maisie Bond and I’m studying Level 3 Sports Coaching at Sheffield Hillsborough College. I’ve been diving for around 12 years now.
To prepare for my Junior Worlds I spent a lot of time at the pool strengthening my body outside the pool and practicing my dives as often as I could to give myself the best preparation.
My favourite part about the experience would have to be a few things as I wouldn’t be able to just pick one, it would be winning my individual silver medal which was such an achievement after a long year and probably also seeing all my friends around the world in such an overwhelming and insane environment.
One thing I learnt from the experience would be about myself that I am capable of great things even when I don't believe in myself as much as others do and therefore I've learnt to believe in myself. My experience in Brazil was eye opening and just an incredible opportunity that I’m so proud of.
Student Voice surveys are the biggest activity we run in college to ensure as many students' voices are heard and contribute towards developing and enhancing the student experience. Thank you to all of the students and apprentices who took the time to complete the term one First Impressions Survey in October!
In total 5184 students and 114 apprentices took part. This feedback is really helping to shape the planning for future enrolment and induction activities in the college. The term two Quality Survey is next after the Christmas break and this survey has 6 themes of focus. This includes questions on your experience of and satisfaction with your teaching and learning, the college support services and facilities, student voice in college, support and feeling safe, the college values and your next steps and progression.
The online surveys are super quick to complete and can be accessed through MyHub. Look out for the launch of this survey from Monday 13th January 2025 and make your voice count.
Helping those at Christmas
Katherine - Environmental Officer
Over the Christmas season, you’ll all be enjoying the festivities and doing your annual traditions that make Christmas so special to every single one of you. Unfortunately, over the Christmas season in the UK 42% of us struggle over the this period financially and emotionally which could lead to: not being able to afford gives for people, put out a christmas dinner to their friends and family, won’t receive gifts, won’t even have a house to live in and won’t be able to keep warm during this bitterly cold period.
In the UK to solve this dilemma there are hundreds of food banks and charities to help those in need over the Christmas festivities to ensure they get the best Christmas possible or at least something to keep them on their feet over this cold period. Here are a few examples around Sheffield which you can donate to, help out at, volunteer with or even just to be aware of so even if you don’t have time this year to help out you can start planning to help out next year.
HARC (Homeless and Rootless at Christmas)
Harc has been providing a safe and warm day shelter for homeless, rootless and vulnerable people since 1989 meaning it’s their 35th anniversary this year. They provide a hot breakfast, lunch and a takeaway each day they are open. Those who are struggling are welcomed to stay there all day where they will be surrounded by warm food and company and activities to boost their spirits during this isolated and cold period. The project is totally funded by donations from the public. By donating 10 pounds you can provide one homeless and rootless person with a warm breakfast, lunch and a takeaway sandwich, drink and treat which can be done online as well as in person.
Shelter
Shelter charity that supports children facing the harsh impact of homelessness. At Christmas more than 159,000 children will wake up homeless which increases yearly by 15% meaning organizations like Shelter work extra hard to provide advice and a secure home during the winter. Last year over five million people turned to Shelter for advice. Shelter gave in return emergency help line suport to 15,975 people, 12,203 people went to their local hubs and 12,900 households saw a positive change in their housing after seeking support from Shelter. For every one pound you donate, 79p is directly spent on helping people through advice, support and campaigning whilst the other 21 pence is spent on fundraising.
Centre Point: Ending Youth Homelessness
Every four minutes a young person faces homelessness which should be resolved as no child or human being should be left to suffer on the freezing cold streets especially during Christmas where they should be inside celebrating the festivities. Donating to the centre point could give a young person a stable home and start putting their lives back together and not worry about if they will eat or where they will sleep.
LGBT+ Society
Nancy Whitham - LGBT+ Society Member and Student
My name is Nancy and I am a first year student at Hillsborough Campus. I take level 2 Journalism, Photography and Graphic design. In the recent months I have been working with the Students' Union to create a new LGBTQ+ Society at Hillsborough and I wanted to introduce myself so that the LGBTQ+ students know who I am and what is on offer.
With the help of the SU President Georgia, we have set up a club in a room at Hillsborough (A102 = First floor) for LGBTQ+ Students to spend their dinners in. It is every Monday at 12:15 - 1pm.
A little bit about me:
I am sixteen years old, I am bisexual, asexual and I have been since my ninth year in secondary. When I originally thought I might be bisexual, asexual I was confused and a little bit afraid. I did not know what to think.
Luckily for me, my best friend April was lesbian and helped with my awakening. It led me to find out that I had a small club for LGBTQ+ youth in my secondary school. They all helped me immensely understand and accept myself and there I made some lifelong friends as well. We called it The Rainbow Club and we met every Wednesday and when the pride months came around the corner… the celebrations we held were the best ones I have been to by far.
Unfortunately, I have also met those that have had no one to support them when they had their awakening. No April to guide them, or teachers to explain to them. Especially no help from their families. Have any of you had any public or past bad experiences because of your sexuality or gender? I can exchange many experiences I had myself too.
We are hoping to run games, watch movies, support and educate each other through the society, so come along!
LGBT+ Society at Hillsborough
LGBT+ Society at Hillsborough
Mondays in room A102
LGBT+ Society at City
LGBT+ Society at City
Fridays in room T211
Want to find out more or have any suggestions? Email us at studentsunion@sheffcol.ac.uk
Visit from Leader of Sheffield City Council Tom Hunt
On 28th November, Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council visited City College to allow students the opportunity to be able to ask him questions regarding the City Council's Growth Plan. Alongside representatives from Sheffield City Council, feedback was gathered from the students who attended and were able to learn about what is currently in place for them to be able to take action.
I myself was able to learn about what the priorities are for the Sheffield City Council to work towards over the next few years, and what their main focuses are in order to not only impact Sheffield as a whole, but young people. This was important for students to be able to hear and have an opinion on, because this plan will impact their future, making it extremely important for their voices to be heard.
Students spoke to Tom and the representatives from Sheffield City Council about a number of issues that they care about, such as:
Improvements to public transport in the city
Regeneration of areas of the city centre, including tackling littering and improvements to roads and pavements
Embedding young people into every area of the Growth Plan, to ensure they are receiving adequate support - from mental health support, to employability opportunities
There were some amazing discussions that took place around these different topics, and students got to have their voice heard on a city wide scale!
Sport Enrichment Sessions
City Campus Dec.pdfHillsborough Sport Enrichment Sep 2024.pdfGuest Speakers to help build your employability skills!
The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Business Enterprise Employer Skills Academy would like to invite you to the next Employer Insight Talk!
‘Being and Everyday Leader’ with Alicia Hewitt from Secure Power
City Campus - Lecture Theatre
Tuesday 21st January 2-3pm
Alicia joins us to kick off the calendar year with how to be an everyday leader!
There is a perception that people are usually born leaders; however we know that’s not true. Leadership is very much a diverse skill which can be developed, and we would like you as students to understand that. This insight talks aim is to increase your understanding of the skill and give you a real insight into what effective leadership practice looks like. You can use this skill in student rep positions, student ambassador positions or, even Team Leader positions in part time employment. We aim to equip students with the knowledge and behaviours to emulate effective leadership in their day-to-day life to become an everyday leader.
Do you wonder what it is like to run your own business? Have you got a business idea that you would like to develop? The Start Up programme could be for you!
In the lead up to our START Up programme launching in January, we invite you to express your interest below and you will be contacted by a member of the Careers Team to discuss further.
The Start Up programme is an 8-week enrichment programme in self-employment and entrepreneurship delivered by business experts and entrepreneurs.
You can take part alongside your study programme.
Each week delves into a different subject about business with a different speaker to inspire and educate you on what it is really like running your own business and how to get there.
There are also opportunities through the membership of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Business and Enterprise Employer Skills Academy for business mentoring!
START UP participants can also enter external competitions to get funding and support to get businesses started!
You don't have to have a business idea or plan to join START UP you will get support to do this through the programme.
Even if you don't end up starting a business you will develop a wide range of employability skills and experience to help you in your future career - whether this is as an entrepreneur or not.
Sessions take place on Wednesdays, 1.00-2.30pm in the City Campus Lecture Theatre.
Check out the Careers Service site for more details.
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