Under the WellChem banner, fun socials like coffee mornings and quizzes, fitness offerings like lunchtime Pilates classes, and health-promoting events such as a breast cancer awareness talk are supporting our wellbeing.
Upcoming events include:
- A new block of lunchtime Pilates classes being offered on a Wednesday. This year, Pilates has expanded from one session to two to accommodate demand. The current classes run from Wednesday 27 February for six weeks.
- A workshop on 'Managing Stress During Times of Uncertainty'. Kathleen Pickett has shared news of this workshop, which is being run by the University Staff Counselling Service on Tuesday 5th March (16:00-17:15) and again on Tuesday 19th March (16:00 - 17:15). You can see more details and book a place here.
- A lighthearted quiz, like the one that took place just before Christmas. It offered rounds of questions on festive and musical themes, and topics ranging from local to international. It was much enjoyed by participants, so the WellChem Team is working on plans for another. Watch this space!
The WellChem team includes Gaby Bocchetti, Jo Lockhart, Andrew Mason, Lisa Masters, Kathleen Pickett and Richard Turner, Manuel Wentscher. Anyone else who would like to get involved with wellbeing initiatives in the department is very welcome to join.
If you'd like any more information on the Pilates classes, or you'd like to join the WellChem team, please contact Kathleen Pickett.
WellChem has supported a number of community-building social events in the department including last term's Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning, and the Save The Children Christmas Jumper Day in December.
Last November, WellChem also offered a talk on breast cancer awareness. This was given by postgraduate student Ines Smit, a researcher in the Bender Group. In her spare time, Ines is an ambassador for Breast Cancer UK, a charity focused on preventing breast cancer by campaigning to reduce risk.
Ines asked us questions to find out how much we knew about breast cancer in both men and women, before highlighting a range of risk factors. As well as non-preventable factors (like our genetic history and age), she discussed those that we can do something about, such as our weight, our levels of alcohol consumption and the harmful chemicals often found in cleaning and cosmetic products that we could avoid by being careful about our choices. It was an excellent presentation and gave us plenty to think about.