Black History Year
The Black History Year steering group, made up of Black Minority Ethnic (BME) colleagues and allies, and the Students’ Union, initially came together in June 2020 to plan for Black History Month in October 2020. We were saddened by recent events and what they were telling us about racial injustice and disparities across the globe. As our plans developed, it became clear that Black history should not be relegated to just a single month of recognition. Instead, we wanted to showcase a continuous stream of stories, events and initiatives that reflect the richness of our University – past and present.
We created a blog to showcase our commitment to Black history. Primarily a resource for Black history of the University, it also gives an overview of the Black History Year events planned for 2021 and details of past events. It's also a place for sharing stories from our colleagues, students and alumni as well as a link to media news, podcasts and other programmes available online which highlight Black history.
Visit our Black History Year blog
Psych4Schools
Psych4Schools 2020
More than 100 Year 12 school students and their teachers attended this year’s annual Psych4Schools event at the university’s Cavendish campus. Psych4Schools is a public engagement initiative that was set up to help ease the transition into higher education and the study of psychology as a scientific subject.
This year, the students were treated to a variety of lectures on topics that included looking after your mental health - using examples from Harry Potter and counselling psychology, the teenage brain, the role of forensic psychology in solving crime, and the relationship between the brain and speech with the aid of a beatboxer.
The workshops gave students an opportunity to try mind-body therapies such as guided meditation, experience a human library, receive top tips on completing a UCAS application, use psychology testing equipment, explore memories and learn about techniques for resilience. The event was supported by our Student Ambassadors and concluded with a panel discussion where psychologists provided insight into their personal academic journeys as researchers and academics.
Sim Bose, Headteacher from Barnet and Southgate College commented that the event, “provided our students with a very informative, insightful and inspiring day – they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were talking about it with much zeal”.
The event was a result of teamwork between Libraries (Aimee Andersen and Eleri Kyffin), Research Development (Kate Theophilus), Outreach (Paul Hampson, Sinead Collins and Caitlin Pedder) and Psychology (Alan Porter, Catherine Loveday, Alessandro Columbo, Sam Evans, Harriet Wichtowski, Cassie Hazell, Iilham Sebah, Jo Birkett, Haulah Zacharia, Lejla Mandzukic-Kanlic, Karen Bunday, Robin Law and Deborah Husbands). Alan Porter, Head of Psychology and Assistant Head of the School of Sciences said: “I was delighted to meet so many engaged and motivated Year 12 students at our Psych4Schools event and share with them my love of psychology. I hope the lectures, workshops and discussion sessions encourage them to think about studying psychology, counselling and neuroscience at university.”
Brent Bulls
The University of Westminster is providing Brent Bulls free access to its training facilities, bringing about an opportunity to train in a cutting-edge environment and exposing young people in the local community to a university environment.
The Brent Bulls is a registered Community Interest Company established in 2020 by Clive Castillo, Sports Management Lecturer and Head Coach of the University of Westminster Men’s Basketball 1st Team. The organisation’s mission is to promote and deliver high-quality basketball programmes and services for participants of all ages and abilities across the borough of Brent.
Brent Bulls operates a range of teams, from under-12s to senior levels, all of whom benefit from free access to the University’s facilities. Through the club, junior players can study at its partner academy school where they have the opportunity to play elite level basketball and receive careers and UCAS support which can lead them to come and study at the University of Westminster.
In addition to player development, the club provides valuable workforce opportunities for University of Westminster students, including local community coaching and officiating roles.
Driven by a commitment to community growth through sport, Brent Bulls continues to create pathways for education, participation and employment, enabling young people and university students alike to engage, compete and build sustainable careers in basketball.