Support over the Christmas closure period
18 Dec 2020
Our University will officially close at the end of Friday 18 December 2020, and reopen on Monday 4 January 2021.
Thank you once again to colleagues who will be working to keep vital services open and our campus secure. The University will officially be closed, but some buildings and labs remain open for critical research and essential work. These arrangements are made at a Faculty level, or by the Professional Services Leadership Team (PSLT), and have been communicated locally.
Support for students
If students require support during the Christmas closure period they can find details of the available services on our Christmas support web page:
IT help and support
For staff and students needing IT help and support, the 24/7 out of hours support telephone line remains open – call 0161 306 5544, or use the Knowledge Base in the IT Support Portal for step-by-step guides and troubleshooting articles.
Wellbeing at Christmas
If you feel that you need any wellbeing help or support during the Christmas period, please remember that the newly launched 24/7 support helpline is available throughout. This is a free and confidential service from our partners Health Assured, and covers not only mental health support but much more. Simply call 0800 028 0199 to speak to an advisor.
Our online mental health service – Togetherall – is also available 24/7 over the festive period. It is totally anonymous and confidential too.
Looking for ways to focus on wellbeing over the holidays? Wellbeing and Engagement Manager, Gemma Dale has some suggestions – read and comment on her blog message:
External resources and support are also available. The charity, Mind, has a range of online resources relating to mental health, Christmas and the coronavirus. And if you need someone impartial to talk to, the Samaritans are available 24/7 by calling 116 123. If you would prefer to text rather than speak, text SHOUT to 85258, for free – someone will text you back, usually within five minutes.
Please have a safe and healthy holiday season – we will see you all in the New Year.