Goal 3: Health and Wellbeing

Health and wellbeing for staff and students

The campus Health and Safety team and People and Culture team organise wellbeing events and campaigns for both mental and physical health for both staff and students. The student advice centre offers counselling sessions for students and support for students with disabilities or mental health problems. Medical centres are provided nearby. In 2023, we ran a mental health awareness week offering a range of events and resources.

Sports facilities

Cranfield has a range of sports facilities, including a sports hall, swimming pool, outside courts and pitches. These are available for students to use with a special membership rate for students. It also offers physiotherapy and other treatments. Local clubs and the public can also hire the facilities.

The Cranfield Students' Association has a range of clubs and societies for students to join (including sports and other activities).

Smoke-free campus

All buildings on the University campus are 'smoke-free'. In 2022, the whole defence estate became smoke-free including outdoor spaces.

Our Water Lunch and Learn Series 2023 included a session on 'Beyond Covid – The Importance of Water and Hygiene in Public Health'.

University collaborations to improve local and global health and wellbeing

• The DEFRAG project aims to connect the green and blue spaces that support biodiversity and ecosystem functioning for healthier, more resilient towns and cities.
• Cranfield University is part of a new life sciences partnership which aims to drive the development of innovative healthcare technologies.
• Mental health research support for farmers revealed the multiple drivers of poor farming mental health.
• Can you dig it? looked at using spaces in out towns and cities to grow food and to understand the impact on our health, providing food and improving the environment. This was presented at Glastonbury in 2023.
• Nutrishield – an EU-funded project that aims to look at fact-based nutrition for the young.

University collaborations to improve local and global health and wellbeing

Cranfield has collaborated on several projects to improve health and wellbeing:

• The air quality group – London Greenhouse gas project aims to perform high-quality research that underpins evidence-based advice to organisations (private, public and NGOs) involved in setting and meeting environmental targets across society.
• Mental health research support for farmers revealed the multiple drivers of poor farming mental health.
• The Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES) will help get African farmers’ produce to market quickly and efficiently. In addition, it will improve cold chains for vaccines and health, now recognised globally as a key challenge for Covid-19 immunisation.  
• One of our REF case studies, improving the blood supply chain and saving lives, highlighted the work undertaken over many years on blood supply chains.
• The NutriNuts project aims to mitigate the occurrence of aflatoxins in Ethiopian peanuts used in therapeutic food products to reduce malnutrition in Africa.

Sports facilities

Cranfield has a range of sports facilities, including a sports hall, swimming pool, outside courts and pitches. These are available for students to use with a special membership rate. It also offers physiotherapy and other treatments. Local clubs and the public can also hire the facilities.

Health and wellbeing for staff and students

The campus Health and Safety team and People and Culture team organise wellbeing events and campaigns for both mental and physical health for both staff and students. These ran online and in person throughout 2021/22. The Student Advice Centre offers counselling sessions for students and support for students with disabilities or mental health problems. Medical centres are provided nearby.

All buildings on the University campus are 'smoke free'.

Cranfield has a range of sports facilities, including a sports hall, swimming pool, outside courts and pitches. These are available for students to use with a special membership rate for students. Local clubs and the public can also hire the facilities.

All students at Cranfield benefit from access to a wide range of free mental health and wellbeing support services.

Further support is provided through the Cranfield Students Association (CSA). The CSA is run by a team of elected students and supported by a small team of staff. Its aim is to support and represent Cranfield students, promote student welfare and organise social, cultural and sporting activities. A new Wellbeing Wednesday was introduced in 2021.

Our students often talk about their experiences to help others.