Staff Health and Wellbeing Day - Winter 2025

Come and meet Cariad Pet Therapy - therapy dogs and their volunteer owners - de-stress with a doggy date! Cariad Pet Therapy create consenting connections between humans and dogs for their mutual benefit.

Come and meet researchers who specialise in well-being research. Take part in or find out more about our research looking at mindfulness and walking in nature, understanding individuals factors that shape well-being and the Aberystwyth Longitudinal Psychology Study (ALPS)/Astudiaeth Seicoleg Hydredol Aberystwyth – ASHA.

Meet the nursing team within the University, who are registered nurses within a variety of specialist backgrounds. They will be happy to record your blood pressure, showcase some of our resources, and chat about ways to support your resilience and health choices through the medium of Welsh or English.

25% off Foodhall voucher for those that attend.

Visit https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hospitality/ for information available on healthy food options, value meals, promotion on gluten free range, allergens, menus.

NHS Health Coaching offers patient centred partnership designed to empower individuals to improve their own health and wellbeing by gaining knowledge, skill and confidence for self-management and behaviour change.

Health Protection Team providing information on wellbeing, hydration, keeping well in preventing infections.

Information on courses available that are suitable for both personal and professional development, and off stall demonstration through out the day.

Lifelong Learning courses are FREE for all Aberystwyth University staff - Find a course for you.

West Wales Domestic Abuse Service (WWDAS) offer a range of person-led and trauma-informed specialist services to people who have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence.

Your Employee Assistance Programme | Register here

Leanne El‑Sayed, HA | Wisdom Wellbeing

Come and meet your new Employee Assistance Programme provider, HA | Wisdom Wellbeing, who will introduce and guide you through the 24/7 confidential support, guidance, and services available to you and your immediate family members.

Tree and shrub planting volunteering | Register here
Dewi Day, Sustainability Advisor

As part of the Staff Health and Wellbeing day we are seeking volunteers to get involved in the planting of trees and shrubs as part of the creation of a new biodiversity enhancement area beside the Sports Centre. These works form part of the University's wider ambitions to protect and enhance biodiversity across our estate by creating new native hedgerows, planting trees and creating more pollinator friendly spaces that are as accessible as possible so that more people can get the benefits of access to nature and nature connection. Hedgerows and new woodland provide vital resources for mammals, birds, and insect species. As well as being an important habitat in their own right, they can act as wildlife corridors allowing dispersal between isolated habitats. There will be 2 planting sessions on the day – each lasting approximately 1 hr.

Caring for self in relationship with others | Register here
Alison Mackiewicz, Senior Lecturer in Psychology & Martine Robson, Lecturer in Psychology

Using tools and models from Transactional Analysis (TA), a type of psychotherapy, we will demonstrate how, in becoming more self-aware, you can address your own mental and physical needs, particularly in your relationships with staff members and others. By understanding the underlying dynamics of interactions with others, people can gain insight into the root causes of problem(s) and work towards resolving them. On a day-to-day basis, TA offers a wealth of benefits that can positively impact both personal and professional aspects of your life. This will be an experiential workshop, involving a short explanation of TA models, and then putting these into practice in small groups.

Key learning Objectives (KLOs): You will learn how to realise what is shaping yours and others communication and interactions; Helping you become self-aware creates options and the possibility of doing things differently; Helping you gain and maintain autonomy; You can make more sense of the behaviour you see around you and put it into a wider context.

Managing Stress with Mindfulness and Self-compassion | Register
Jenny Smith, mental health practitioner and Lifelong Learning tutor

All of us will face stressors during our lives, and a lot of these stressors are beyond our control. How we respond to them, however, is to some degree, within our control. Building a toolkit of techniques and perspectives is an essential part of becoming more creative, resourced, and resilient. Mindfulness and Self Compassion are two such tools that can support us to become less reactive and more responsive to the stressors that show up in our day to day lives. This experiential workshop will introduce simple ways that we can bring a more aware and compassionate approach to ourselves as we navigate the inevitable challenges that life brings us.

'Storm in a teacup' needle felting session | Register Here (limited to first 12 registrants)
Charlie Kenobi, Lifelong Learning Tutor: Art and Design

Brew your own storm in a teacup this staff wellbeing day where you'll learn the basics of needle felting and create your own mini world in a teacup to use as a pin cushion or just to sit and look adorable.

Lifelong Learning courses are FREE for all Aberystwyth University staff - Find a course for you.

Tree and shrub planting volunteering | Register here
Dewi Day, Sustainability Advisor

As part of the Staff Health and Wellbeing day we are seeking volunteers to get involved in the planting of trees and shrubs as part of the creation of a new biodiversity enhancement area beside the Sports Centre. These works form part of the University's wider ambitions to protect and enhance biodiversity across our estate by creating new native hedgerows, planting trees and creating more pollinator friendly spaces that are as accessible as possible so that more people can get the benefits of access to nature and nature connection. Hedgerows and new woodland provide vital resources for mammals, birds, and insect species. As well as being an important habitat in their own right, they can act as wildlife corridors allowing dispersal between isolated habitats. There will be 2 planting sessions on the day – each lasting approximately 1 hr.

Psychological Safety in your Team | Register
Ian Archer, Skills Development Officer

Psychological safety is an environment where individuals feel secure and supported and that fosters open communication, trust and collaboration within teams. This session will look at how much we feel this within our teams, and how we encourage this, allowing individuals to flourish and improve team dynamics, innovation and organisational performance.