Health Mentors receive recognition from Vice Chancellor

13/04/2018 by Sinead Staunton

Health Mentors awards evening

Newman University, Birmingham provides a short course for Health Mentors at its campus in Bartley Green.

The one year part-time course was developed with social impact company, Evolve and prides itself on being an innovative staff training programme. The level 4 course provides bespoke training for Health Mentors deployed into schools by Evolve, providing opportunities to study in groups, complete work shadowing and to partake in independent work placements.

Evolve is a small award-winning social enterprise with a big idea of how it can help transform a generation of children struggling to deal with growing health and education challenges in the 21st Century. Evolve devised and deliver Project HERO (Health Engagement Real Outcomes) into schools around the country to support children through a focus on their physical health, emotional wellbeing and cognitive development. Evolve carefully recruit and specially train inspiring young people to become Evolve Health Mentors – active, enthusiastic and positive role models who are then deployed into schools by forward thinking headteachers. The work of Evolve was recently recognised by the Royal Society of Public Health who now partner Evolve in its work.

Professor Scott Davidson presents awardThe course aims to promote the development of students’ intellectual and key skills to enable them to progress with their studies and provide them with the necessary preparation for employment, further professional training and academic study.

This year a cohort of six students successfully completed the course which was celebrated on Thursday 12th April at the university campus with an awards evening.

Scott Davidson at awards eveningThe students celebrated their achievements along with their tutor Dr Simon Bicknell and Vice Chancellor of Newman University, Professor Scott Davidson.

Dr Simon Bicknell commented, “The short course for Health Mentors is an exciting and innovative development for Newman University. This course not only provides us with the opportunity to work closely with our colleagues from Evolve, but also, by training the next generation of Health Mentors, to make an impact on the lives of school children across the country.”

Graham Morgan, Director of Evolve commented “Newman University have been great partners in supporting the work of Evolve. Their history is one of helping disadvantaged students to achieve educationally and marries well with the Evolve mission to work primarily with vulnerable children. The presentation of these certificates represents an important landmark on our journey. Evolve are particularly thankful for the support of Dr Simon Bicknell in the development of both the Level 4 course and the Master’s Degree and look forward to even more courses being created in the future.”

For further information on the Health Mentors course, you can visit the course page.