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Health & Wellbeing at Keble and in Oxford

WELFARE REPS

Alongside faculty welfare provision (see below), the JCR organizes welfare events and provides services for all Keble students. These are organized by the Welfare Reps, Leela, Charlie and Christian. You can reach them by email, or through the Keble Welfare Instagram account.

 


PEER SUPPORTERS

Peer support is an intermediate layer of the welfare system that can feel much less intimidating than approaching a member of staff or trained professional. It is a long running tradition here, facilitating students to use their own experiences and knowledge in a considerate way to help their peers.

 

Confidentiality and anonymity are paramount - your personal information will never be shared without your consent or be made trivial gossip.Students can meet with supporters in a more “formal” setting - i.e. a prearranged drop in chat in a coffee shop - or an even more relaxed chat - particularly at welfare events. We are also hoping to have peer supporters engaging in their role at most college events, such as sports matches and bops (college parties). Such events can be full on and it can be super helpful to have a quick vent in a less formal setting!Supporters are trained over an extensive programme to become better listeners and communicators.

 

A core part of peer support is helping students to navigate and process issues, both big and small, and directing them toward the many welfare services available to them for issues beyond our remit.

 

As peer supporters we want to be approachable and friendly faces who can offer a different type of support than a friend might necessarily give. We intend to listen, comfort and - if wanted – advise those who come to us. Look for the peer support posters located around college to remember who we are and keep an eye out for those students who might be offering an extra helping hand.

 

A friendly chat about whatever is on your mind can be particularly helpful in your first weeks in Oxford. We're looking forward to meeting you all in October.

 

The undergraduate Keble peer supporters are:

  • Theodore Siri Heath (2nd Year)

  • Alex Sawyer (3rd Year)

  • Henry McChesney (3rd Year)

  • Jessie D'Urso (3rd Year)

  • Luke Moss (3rd Year)

  • Monica Hemmerde (3rd Year)

  • Polly O'Brien Hogan (3rd Year)

  • Siri Pedersen Gamming (3rd Year)

  • Theo Daniels (3rd Year)

  • Zacharie Downie (3rd Year)


COLLEGE WELFARE TEAM

You can find detailed information on the college's welfare team on the Keble College Website here.

UNIVERSITY-WIDE WELFARE NUMBERS TO KEEP HANDY

OXFORD UNIVERSITY COUNSELLING

The University has free counselling available for students. There is usually little to no wait list, and more information can be found on these websites:​

OXFORD NIGHTLINE

​Oxford Nightline is a completely independent listening, support, and information service run for students of Oxford and Oxford Brookes, by students. They are there for all students every night from 8pm-8am, 0th week to 9th week.

 

You can ring them on 01865 270 270.

SEXUAL HEALTH

CONTRACEPTION AND PREGNANCY TESTS

​You can find condoms and lube supplied by the JCR Welfare in Plodge, next to the pidges and in the JCR which are completely free. If stocks are running low or you think other types should be provided, contact us (Welfare Reps).

 

We also supply pregnancy tests, completely free through the online form which can be found using this link . This is all done anonymously.

 

If you are under 24 you can also register for the C-card scheme and get free contraception and information. You can find more info at this site:https://www.oxfordshireccard.org.uk/

 

In addition to emergency contraception, Oxfordshire Sexual Health Service offers various forms of contraception, free STI testing, HIV care and prevention services, and sexual assault support. Visit https://www.sexualhealthoxfordshire.nhs.uk for more information about the services that they provide.

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION

If you have had sex without using contraception or if you have reason to believe that your contraception failed (e.g. a condom broke), emergency contraception greatly reduces the chance of pregnancy when taken as soon as possible after sex.

 

There are two types of emergency contraceptive pills which may still be effective up to 3-5 days after sex, but the sooner taken, the better chance emergency contraception has of working. An IUD implanted less than 5 days after sex may also be used as emergency contraception.

 

Emergency contraception is available from Oxfordshire Sexual Health Service, with clinics in Churchill Hospital and on Rectory Road. Book a telephone consultation by calling them at this link, or at the number 01865 231231.

 

Alternatively, if you purchase the morning-after pill at a chemist or pharmacy (e.g. Boots on Cornmarket Street), simply email the receipt to the welfare reps or fill out the ‘Emergency Contraception Refund’ form found using this link and the Welfare reps will reimburse you in confidence. Most chemists and pharmacies shouldn’t charge you if you show them your university card, but they are often difficult about this.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIs)

If you or a sexual partner has symptoms of an STI, or you are concerned about recent sex without a condom, it is a good idea to test for STIs. You can contact Oxfordshire Sexual Health Service as above for free testing.

FINANCIAL HELP

Leaving home and managing money can be difficult to get used to but there are some simple ways that you can save money, such as looking out for student discounts in shops and restaurants, most of which will accept your university card.

 

Oxford University also has one of the most generous financial support systems of any UK university. It offers several sources of financial assistance including bursaries for covering living costs and tuition fee reductions. These are based on household income, with incomes less than £42,875 eligible for an Oxford Bursary and incomes less than £27,500 eligible for a Crankstart scholarship. Both schemes provide funding levels between £200 and £5000 per year to help with the cost of living.

 

If you have applied for student finance, you should be automatically granted these bursaries if you are eligible for them. See the university website section on financial support for more info: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/fees-funding/assistance.

 

A document with information about Oxford University fees and funding can be seen here.

The College also has information and help available. You can find more about this here.

RELIGIOUS INFORMATION

Oxford University has a range of facilities to offer to people of all faiths and backgrounds who may wish to practice their religion. The University and city have a range of places of worship and other facilities to help people of all faiths practise their religion. Keble has its own Chapel, which is open to all.

 

For a comprehensive list of places of worship in Oxford please visit https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/faith-societies.

 

The OUSU Freshers’ Fair which runs in Freshers’ Week will have stands for the groups below and more if you want to find out more information. [The Freshers Fair is currently unconfirmed, check the Oxford University Student Union Website for Updates]

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