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Welcome to February's Newsletter! I hope you've all had a great half term, and what an amazing month we've had. The SU's second campaign around mental health called Mind Matters is completed, the Wellbeing Event has taken place including a variety of fun, exciting activities for everybody to get involved in, and the Student Voice Conference was an amazing way to conclude the first half term of 2025.
This months Newsletter includes all of the new clubs and societies you can get involved in, everything we got up to in the mental health campaign and Big Green Week that's coming up in March with the Clothes Swap Shop. The deadline for donations will be the 7th March, so if you would like to donate any unwanted clothes for this event that will be ran in the Atrium at City, there are donation boxes for this at City and Hillsborough Campus. At City, these are based behind reception and in Upper Student Central, and at Hillsborough, also behind reception. Please let reception know if you would like to donate!
If you want to find out more about what kind of clothes you can donate, then there is more information about this important week in this months newsletter! Get involved and support the campaign by contributing to environmental sustainability in our college and displaying the importance of recycling clothes.
✩ Mind Matters ✩
✩ Mind Matters ✩
Over the few weeks of the campaign, Mind Matters has been nothing but successful throughout this month at college. As the SU President, I wanted this campaign to be something that allows students to feel seen, heard and enable them to find ways to cope and overcome challenges with their mental health. This is a campaign that I want to be remembered because of the support that was offered to students through minigames, activities and resources and the range of organisations internally and externally who were able to play a role in making this campaign memorable.
The first week of the campaign in February began with the promotion of the Mind Matters campaign, where the SU team involved themselves in supporting and running activities as part of the Wellbeing Event with the Safeguarding Team at college. This included activities like the smoothie bike, cup stacking, boxing, colouring and a rowing machine activity. Throughout this was where the Mind Matters campaign was promoted so that you, the students were aware of where this campaign would take place across campus, and everything important to look out for. Some of the SU team also travelled to Peaks campus to engage BLOOM students in a range of activities that included arts and crafts and games. Similarly to the previous Wellbeing Event, it was great to see how engaged students were who got involved throughout this first week and were eager to contribute to such an impactful event around college.
As the second week quickly approached, the SU ran stalls for the campaign which included various prizes and freebies for students to win after their participation in activities. These prizes included fidget toys like fidget spinners, fidget cubes, fidget pods, stress toys like stress balls and squishies, and bendable pencils. There were minigames the SU officers created like match the word linked to mental health to the definition, writing your goals for 2025, and the importance of sleep as well as what apps you can download to support with this.
Youth Social Action Ambassadors also had a stall to promote volunteering opportunities and how you as students can have impact on our community, the LRC provided a stall with books around mental health for students, and Kooth, Sheffield Mind and Health Assured were visible to support students and raise awareness on the support their services can offer.
Hearing feedback from all students who involved themselves in the activities ran across campus, and having conversations with students who spoke about their mental health was eye opening and felt like a massive achievement. This emphasised how this campaign has helped students through the prizes being useful for their mental health like coping with anxiety, and displayed the significance of running events like this where people can openly communicate and relate to one another. I feel as though everybody who was involved was able to effectively communicate with students to support them, provide them with information and create awareness on what their stalls consisted of. Due to this, I want this to be something that is pushed more regularly with running events and activities like this.
In order to begin doing this, Wellbeing Cafes will continue to be ran at Peaks Campus termly to ensure that Peaks students are able to Wellbeing Events will continue to be ran across campus, as well as clubs and societies continuing to be provided to students that you are all welcome to get involved in and use as a safe space throughout times like lunchtime.
A big thank you to all students who showed interest in this campaign and participated in all of the exciting activities available as well as engaging with the stalls, and to those who supported with the campaign. You're what made it so successful!
Make sure you keep an eye out for Big Green Week!
Monday 17th March - Friday 21st March
Clothes Swap Shop - 20th March at City Campus
A message from Students' Union Environmental Officer, Katherine: "Dear students of The Sheffield College...
In two months time all campuses will be doing their part by participating in Big Green Week on the week commencing March 17th until the 21st. Throughout the week, each day will have a designated theme related to the environment that us as the college are passionate about.
Furthermore, by doing this green week it will be a push in the right direction to educate both teachers and students about the UN Sustainable Development Goals to help the environment that you can help be a part of. The following themes are: food, climate change awareness, clean energy, fast fashion and finally green travel."
"Firstly, day one will be all about food which will include more meat free options at the catering outlets at all campuses and you will receive material on this in tutorials and learn about how our food choices can affect the environment.
Secondly, day two will entail learning about climate change awareness which you will also receive learning material in your tutorial lesson about climate change.
Thirdly, day three is all about clean energy which will include workshops that both students and staff can interact with plus an event for employers.
Then, day 4 will be about fast fashion where a clothes swap shop will be held at all campuses which you can start donating to from the end of January.
There are two plastic boxes located at City campus in reception and in the Upper Student Central area, and at Hillsborough in reception, so feel free to come by to these areas and start donating clothes.
What can you donate? You can donate: shirts, pajamas, clean shoes, jumpers, trousers, dresses but please make sure that anything you donate is in good condition and has no rips or stains on. You will also learn about how fast fashion impacts the environment and people in your tutorial lesson.
Concluding green week is green travel. On Friday you will learn about electric vehicle driving in your tutorial.
Green week is a great opportunity to get involved with all things to do with the environment that is very important and vital in today's climate; especially after we’ve seen what has occurred in LA over the past week and the horrific wildfires."
If you want to take part and be involved with green week by helping out with the events you can email:
Jessica Rick (Environmental Sustainability Manager) Jessica.Rick@sheffcol.ac.uk
Katherine Wright (Environmental Officer) 801535@student.sheffcol.ac.uk
Plastic Pollution
On the 10th of February 2025 the executive order signed by newly re-elected Donald Trump, called to bring back plastic straws since paper straws “don’t”work. During this announcement of the order he told reporters “These things don’t work, I’ve had them many times and on occasion they break, they explode. If something’s hot they don’t last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds”.
This announcement reverses Biden administration policy to get plastic utensils such as cutlery and packaging out of federal food services by 2035 to put a stop to the increasing catastrophic rise of plastic pollution. Furthermore, the detrimental impact of plastic straws requires a huge amount of energy, water and natural resources to serve a customer. In total globally we generate 400 million tonnes of plastic waste per year. 60% ends up in our natural environment and only 9% is recycled. Since plastic is a fossil fuel this causes a rise in greenhouse gases which has shown to be 3.4% a year.
Around the campus there are designated bins to put your waste in such as our recycling bins for your cups and plastic lids and paper waste as well. Please ensure to not litter around the campus since this is going to play a huge role in improving our environment which is unfortunately suffering due to the rise of global warming as shown in L.A last month with the wildfires. In addition, as a college we are playing our part, not only by our bins located at various parts of the campus but also our cardboard knives and forks which are located in the cafeteria to help reduce plastic waste.
This coincides with the UK ban of single use plastic such as : drink stirrers, balloon sticks, cutlery; food and drink containers made of expanded and extruded polystyrene. The government have suggested alternative to plastic such as: silicone straws, durable cutlery sets, food containers with sealable lids made from glass and silicone sandwich and food bags that are suitable for your dishwasher, freezer and microwave.Furthermore, to ensure that these rules are being obeyed of not using single-use plastic; the government: visit shops, speak to staff and ask to see records. If there are any laws broken, this could result in being fined and be ordered to cover the cost of the investigation.
If possible please bring in your own drink in a metal water bottle to help reduce plastic waste instead of buying a plastic bottle of water or drink. If you want to make a change to help the environment, there is a green week commencing from March 17th- 21st 2025 as mentioned in the green week article I have also published on this newsletter and January’s newsletter.
Clubs and Societies
Make sure to look out for our Clubs and Societies around college!
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.
If you love reading, discovering new stories and want to grow your imagination, then join our new Book Club! Starting this week, this will be located at City Campus on Tuesdays in the LRC from 12:15-1pm every two weeks.
If you have any further questions or would like to find out more about specific dates then please contact:
for more details!
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
Sport Enrichment Sessions
City Campus Dec.pdfHillsborough Sport Enrichment Sep 2024.pdf
Guest 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!
Practising Productivity with Javed Khan from Business in the Community
Lecture Theatre - City Campus
Tuesday 25th March 2025
Javed Khan joins us from Business in the Community this month.
The art of productivity is effectively using time management and prioritization which allow you to become less stressed, more effective and thus, a more successful individual. Being productive is important to everyone; whether you’re at college, looking for a job or starting a business. This class aims to equip students with key strategies to manage their time effectively to assist with their productivity levels. We also aim to support students to reflect on their own barriers to productivity and share with them a toolkit of tips and tricks to overcome these.
Volunteers needed for Youth Social Action Projects!
Work-related activity and the development of employability skills are a valuable part of every student’s career pathway. Students are encouraged to gain career experience needed to go further through enrichment and experience of work, industry tasters, projects, industry placements and now Youth Social Action opportunities!
This term the college has recruited a group of student Ambassadors to run exciting new Youth Social Action projects in the college and the local community as part of the Association of Colleges Youth Social Action project with the Pears Foundation. This is a great volunteering opportunity to take action and address local issues (in college and in the wider community) as well as creating opportunities to undertake meaningful work experience around social action.
The Ambassadors have highlighted three areas where a big difference can be made in college and in the wider community and now you can be part of it too! The areas are:
· Mental health & wellbeing - with a focus on the positive benefits of volunteering and how to cope with exam stress
· Sport - with a focus on inclusive sport sessions and opportunities to get more involved
· Financial wellbeing - with a focus on helping students make the most of their money and feel empowered to have a healthy financial future
Volunteering as part of this project will look amazing on CVs or UCAS applications and will help you build the employability skills and experience you need to be successful in your progression and future career. You can do as little or as much as you want, every hour counts! Specific opportunities will be advertised through the Work-Related Activity platform and time spent volunteering in Youth Social Action projects and events will be recorded towards your work-related activity hours.
More information about the project is below, and you can register your interest in volunteering by clicking here
Join the Amnesty International Youth Activism Group running once every 2 weeks
Starting on 25/02/2025 at 12:15 pm in T604A (6th floor). Students are welcome to bring lunch.
Annabelle Latham will also be coming from the University of Sheffield for this who is a coach!
Find out more information below.
1625 Outreach are holding drug and alcohol advice drop-ins across the college.
You can come and talk to us about anything drugs and alcohol-related, no matter how big or small. Whether you’re worried about yours or someone else’s drug or alcohol use, or just want to pick up some anti-spiking resources.
No need to book, just come for a chat.
City Campus - Student Central:
11th March, 1:30-2:30pm
22nd April, 1:30-2:30pm
Hillsborough Campus – Higher Education Room, LRC:
25th March, 1:30-2:30pm
6th May, 1:30-2:30pm
If you have any questions or want to find out more in the meantime, get in touch with us on Instagram: @1625_Outreach.
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!
The second cohort of the START Up programme is launching in March and 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 - 19th March to 21st May.
Check out the Careers Service site for more details.
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