Anita Volkert, Glasgow Caledonian University shares her thoughts as someone who will soon be joining a Caring on Campus retreat in North East Scotland.

In summer 2023 and following the publication of my co-edited book Supervision for Occupational Therapy: Practical Guidance for Supervisors and Supervisees (Dancza, Volkert & Tempest, 2022), I became part of the advisory group of a collective aiming to address the mental health and wellbeing of everyone within the higher education sector: Caring on Campus. Developed by the student focused charity Student Minds, the University Mental Health Charter aims to provide a framework for senior higher education leaders to put in place a strategic approach to mental health and wellbeing in their institution. Glasgow Caledonian University was awarded the Charter in 2022.

Caring on Campus is a collective of higher education staff from across the UK and third sector parties that keeps the aims of the Charter in mind, but focuses especially on the wellbeing needs of staff in the higher education sector. It offers free assets and events, including a retreat space in a rural coastal setting near Aberdeen.  Its location enables us to step outside institutional or hired hotel walls, to recharge, and to review and check-in on ourselves with different optics…

Our purpose, our life aims, and the tools that will help maintain our mental wellbeing whilst meeting the inevitable demands we face in the higher education sector at this current time.  I am very much looking forward to attending!

Timings to join a Caring on Campus  retreat are flexible, and it’s very straightforward to travel to: located just north of  Aberdeen which has good air/rail/road connections. Just take that first step by getting in touch through the contact form.