Leeds City College

Leeds City College has teamed up with Kinder Leeds to introduce wellbeing initiative, Kinder Colleges.

The project aims to encourage students and staff to become champions of kindness by participating in wellbeing activities across the city.

Centered around six key themes: Kinder to Self, Kinder Relationships, Kinder to the Planet, Kinder Spaces, Kinder Business and Kinder Communities, the wellness programme hopes to raise awareness of social responsibility and encourage good wellbeing practice among the college’s staff and students.

Bill Jones, Principal at Leeds City College, said: “The past year has been extremely challenging for all our staff and students, but one positive theme we’ve seen emerging is the importance of wellbeing. We’ve seen communities across the district come together to support each other, and we want to embody this culture of kindness throughout our college.

“We hope this initiative will encourage everyone to become champions of kindness, whether that’s through volunteering, reducing plastic waste or simple random acts of kindness. We’re asking our students and staff to shout about the phenomenal work they’ve been doing by tagging #KinderColleges on social media.

“Our travel, enterprise, childcare and adult English students recently wrote letters to local care home residents to help overcome loneliness, and we look forward to seeing the rollout of similar activities as part of this campaign.”

Kinder Leeds is a not-for-profit organisation that works with stakeholders across the district to run, promote and support wellbeing events and ways to connect with each other.

Gloria Kimberley, Festival Project Leader at Kinder Leeds, commented: “Our ethos is centered around making kindness, compassion and wellbeing the new normal. Partnering with Leeds City College allows us to spread the message even further; taking the necessary steps towards a kinder and more compassionate Leeds.

“We look forward to working with students, inspiring them to become active in the community and fostering a collaborative approach focused on inclusivity and support. We will also be hosting the Leeds Festival of Kindness, Compassion and Wellbeing in October; an annual host of exciting events run by organisations across the city.”

More information on Kinder Colleges is available by visiting leedscitycollege.ac.uk/shaping-a-kinder-future/.