Belonging at Leeds
Please will you help students find belonging at Leeds?
Louise Banahene MBE - Director of Educational Engagement
Students' individual identities, perspectives and life stories are the things that make our University successful – this diversity of lived experience enriches our community and the work we do.
In my role as Director of Educational Engagement, students tell me every day how they feel like they belong in our Leeds community. This is because of the life-long friends they make here and the clubs and societies where they develop, and are celebrated for, their interests and talents. The Leeds music and arts scenes which they pour their energy into and the quiet affirmation they receive from academics which show them that they belong on their course.
All of this forms the backbone of the student experience, helping Leeds feel like home to the thousands studying at the University.
To support this, a sense of belonging has been made a key priority in the new University strategy. From the curriculum we teach to the support offered by personal tutors and the ways students socialise at Leeds, we have adopted a targeted and tailored approach to supporting students who need it most.
As a member of our Leeds community, will you support us on our mission to create a place where every one of our students feel like they belong and are celebrated for their abilities?
A sense of belonging is so vital to a student’s chances of success
For some students, like Penny, this belonging is much harder to find.
Penny had a difficult start to her education, lacking stability and consistency, she moved between nine schools and missed six months’ worth of teaching.
Despite this, Penny was determined not to let her circumstances define her and she left school with 2A*s and 2As, securing her place at Leeds to study Medicine and Surgery.
I didn’t really know what to expect – I didn’t grow up knowing any doctors. I thought it would be intense and that I’d be studying around the clock.
I was so worried and wanted to close the gap between me and these people who I assumed had easily got into medical school. I thought I was going to do really badly - I turned up so prepared, more than I needed to be.
Students like Penny can also find it difficult to settle into university life and find friends. They can often feel quite isolated and like they don’t quite fit in the student community, lacking the same life experiences or opportunities.
When I first arrived at Leeds I found it hard to make friends. I remember that my flatmates were all talking about holidays.
I couldn’t get involved with the conversations because I’d never really been on one. I had to change the subject which made me feel like I stood out.
A sense of belonging means different things for different students
For Penny, she found belonging at Leeds in high kicks and suture kits...
My scholarship meant I could take part in societies and not feel left out. Through the Kickboxing society I’ve created a really strong support network who have helped me to keep fit and well.
Your support also helped me to present at the Vascular Society’s annual conference - I did this speech in front of over 200 consultants and won an award! People now recognise me from that presentation which will help me in the future.
Neither of my parents have any qualifications or went to university, so I feel that I need to constantly work hard to close the gap between myself and my peers and make up for my lack of connections. Thanks to your support of the Opportunities Fund I was able to participate in a vascular surgery skills course!
Participating in surgical courses during medical school can be expensive but provide an advantage in showing commitment to surgery early on. Your support puts me on a level playing field with other students.
Through funding initiatives like scholarships and the Plus Programme, your support helps students to feel part of our Leeds community and that they deserve to be here.
You help students ....
Forge life-long friendships
Your support helps us to put on a range of social events enabling students to settle into University life and meet the friends who will become a family to them at Leeds. From welcome sessions to pizza nights – we have been told by students how important these events have been throughout their time at Leeds, helping them to build networks of support and relax after a day studying.
Join Clubs and Societies
Clubs and societies are a way many students find their place at Leeds. Your supports helps students from underrepresented groups to take advantage of the opportunities they offer – to have fun, develop skills and make a positive contribution to society.
Become more confident academically
Like Penny, a lot of students can arrive at Leeds feeling like they’re not on a level playing field with their peers academically, having missed school or completed it in difficult circumstances. With your support, we offer extra study guidance which give students the confidence to meet the challenges of their course and feel like they belong in our academic community.
Take advantage of every opportunity
Penny received one of 137 grants made through the Opportunities Fund last year. You’ve helped deserving students to take up a range of opportunities including attending conferences and training courses, volunteering experiences and work placements. Your support helps students pay for work clothing and travel, the cost of which might otherwise prevent them from making the most of every opportunity at Leeds.
"Your support has showed me that every "Penny" truly does matter, and the confidence gained by this knowledge makes a difference to my life every day.
I've only been able to get as far as I have thanks to the kindness of donors such as yourself. I am now well underway to becoming an academic where I can be a role model for others like me"
Your generosity can help students find belonging at Leeds.
We believe that every student, who has worked hard to earn their place at Leeds, deserves to feel like they belong.
If you feel the same, support us in our mission with a gift today.
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