Wellbeing

Saints Sport are passionate about wellbeing and ensuring all club members are looked after. We have a number of wellbeing measures in place, which you can learn more about below.

Key contacts

Every club has a Wellbeing Officer, who is in place to help signpost club members to appropriate support services. If you or a member of your club are uncomfortable speaking about an issue with your Wellbeing Officer, remember you can always get in touch with members of the Saints Sport team or Student Services. Some key contacts are listed below, but remember you can also contact staff directly through Microsoft Teams.

Welfare initiatives

• Healthy Body Healthy Mind

  Key contacts: AU President | Rachel Turton  (Sports Development Officer)

  • Saints Sport has signed up to Healthy Body Healthy Mind – an initiative run by Scottish Student Sport, along with partners ASH Scotland, NUS Scotland and SAMH to support colleges and universities in improving student and staff well-being and inspires positive changes on campus
  • In receiving an Award, institutions demonstrate how they are encouraging sport and physical activity, a smoke-free culture and good mental health
  • Working with the Students Association, we are encouraging students to take part in regular physical activity to ensure physical and mental wellbeing of all students
  • Saints Sport is working to ensure that sport is widely accessible to all
  • We are promoting campus wide initiatives to encourage healthier choices such as a smoke-free environment

• LGBT Charter

  Key Contacts: Claire Scott (Sports Development Manager and LGBT Champion, Charter Lead) | Duncan Caithness (Assistant Director and LGBT Champion) | Sam Winton (AU Volunteering and Engagement) | Georgina Beeby (Association LGBT Officer)

  Thank you!

  Thank you to all who took time to complete the recent LBGT Charter Survey. We were overwhelmed by the number willing and honest participants! We are currently reviewing your valued responses and will feedback on the results and actions in the new year.

  • Saints Sport is a signatory of the LGBT Charter and committed to making sports a safe environment for all members of the LGBTQ+ community
  • We offer regular opportunities to take part in LGBTQ+ inclusion training, for clubs, students and staff
  • Working with the LGBTQ+ community, we continue to promote and support inclusion within sport through annual campaigns

  Get Support
  
  Whatever your needs, we are here to support you. Please contact any of our LGBT Champions mentioned above or visit Saints LGBT Support on www.saintslgbt.com/get-support

  Resources and useful websites

  LGBT Youth Scotland, LGBT Advice Centre 

  University of St Andrews; LGBT Student Wellbeing

  Student Services 

  Stonewall Scotland; Best Practice, toolkits and resources

  LGBT in Britain – University Report

  Saints LGBT

  Prince’s Trust: LGBT+ Resources

• Club Wellbeing Officers

  Key Contacts: Sam Winton (AU Volunteering and Engagement) | Joanna McCulloch (Assistant Director of Wellbeing at Student Services)

  • We have introduced the new committee position to ensure clubs are proactively supporting their members and providing support
  • These welfare officers receive year-round training from Student Services

• Mental Health Charter

  Key Contact: Duncan Caithness (Assistant Director and LGBT Champion) | Sophie Tyler (AU President) | Sam Winton (AU Volunteering and Engagement)

  • Saints Sport is beginning the process of signing up to the Scottish Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport, run by SAMH
  • Scotland’s Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport aims to improve equality and reduce discrimination for anyone with a mental health problem
  • Saints Sport is committed to ensuring mental wellbeing is on a par with physical wellbeing and that all necessary support is in place to ensure our students are supported

• Saints Wellbeing

  Students who have a membership with Saints Sport or one of our affiliated clubs have access to a Wellbeing Adviser via dedicated meetings every Thursday throughout the year, either online through Microsoft Teams or over the phone.

  Saints Wellbeing is a safe space where students can discuss any wellbeing concerns. This need not be sport related and can be personal, mental health or study orientated.

  Student Services staff will offer support and guidance and may signpost you to other services if appropriate. Wellbeing Advisers are great to speak to about anything. They are frontline staff members who will listen and give you advice on a broad range of issues.

  For more information please visit the Saints Wellbeing page on the Saints Sport website.