Engagement

Big Mouth Tower Hamlets Project [3.3.2]

Big Mouth Tower Hamlets is a community-led oral health engagement programme delivered in 2024/25 by Queen Mary University of London in partnership with Social Action for Health. The project worked with Tower Hamlets residents, community organisations and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners to identify barriers to oral health and access to dental services. Through community conversations, workshops, creative body-mapping activities and an online survey, local people helped shape priorities for future oral health research, education and service improvement.

The programme specifically engaged seldom-heard groups, including migrant and ESOL communities, creating opportunities for residents to discuss issues such as access to NHS dentists, cultural and language barriers, oral health knowledge, food insecurity and the cost of dental care. More than 370 survey responses and extensive community participation informed the development of community-driven priorities to improve oral health outcomes and access to services in Tower Hamlets. By ensuring that local voices help shape future research and interventions, the project supports more equitable and responsive healthcare for underserved communities.

Teddy bear hospital BARTS [3.3.2]

The biggest volunteering group on our campus, Teddy bear hospital run fun, interactive clinics in local primary schools every Wednesday. These clinics help children learn about health and feel less scared about visiting the doctors and the dentist to stay healthy.

BARTS community smiles [3.3.2]

Founded in 2017 to address an unmet need for raising awareness about oral and dental health within the community of Tower Hamlets, BARTS community smiles is a volunteering student group working to change that. They do this through running events and talks in community and school settings

Tower Hamlets – Active Communities Programme [3.3.3]

Piloted in 2024-25, this programme delivers free sports and physical activity sessions to local children and young people through a student-led community outreach programme, funded by the Queen Mary Centre for Public Engagement. Our pilot saw over 60 children receive free sessions, with 100% of parents agreeing that these sessions positively impacted their local community and that the sessions improved their child’s physical and mental wellbeing

Continuing into the 2025/26 academic year, student volunteers will deliver free sessions at QM facilities as well as in local schools, youth clubs, and community centres.

QMSU Sport community partnerships [3.3.3]

QMSU Sport has created partnerships and driven positive change throughout the borough of Tower Hamlets through impactful work with educational institutions, grassroots organisations, and key local stakeholders. Through a shared vision of increasing sports and physical activity within Tower Hamlets — an area found to be severely underactive, underfunded, and holding one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the UK — QMSU Sport works in conjunction with Queen Mary’s Strategy 2030, QMSU’s Sports Strategy, and the overarching aims of London Sport and Tower Hamlets Council. Together, these partnerships support and facilitate innovative community projects throughout the area.

For example, in partnership with Globe Primary School, Queen Mary delivered free after-school football clubs for over 100 local girls aged 8–11. Supported by seven Queen Mary student coaches, who gained sports qualifications through the programme, the project enhanced both community wellbeing and student employability.

Summer Sports Camp [3.3.3]

Each year Queen Mary runs a Summer Sports Camp for two weeks, focused on keeping children engaged, happy, and trying new things. Guided by qualified student-coaches, children aged 8-11 can take part in football, basketball, rounders, badminton and talent shows. This is available at £20 for the day or £80 for one week.

In 2025, 45 children aged 8-11 took part in two weeks of multi-sport activities. Most participants were from Tower Hamlets, with 73 per cent coming from areas of higher deprivation. The programme combines physical activity with healthy lifestyle education and tailored support, with more than 80 per cent of participants reporting improved physical activity levels and 75 per cent reporting better mental health and social skills. Eighty-three per cent expressed an interest in continuing sport after the programme.

QMSU Qmotion Gym [3.3.3]

Qmotion is the Students' Union run Sport & Fitness Centre, located on the Mile End campus. We provide students, staff, and members of the community with great facilities in a safe and welcoming environment. Public memberships are available from £12/day, £39 direct debit to £345 for the whole year.

BL Minds [3.3.5]

BL MINDS is a student-led society dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive community for anyone with lived experience of, or an interest in, neurodivergence, disability, and mental health, whether personally, as a carer, or through supporting loved ones.

The society aims to unite students, particularly within IHSE, who share these experiences or are passionate about improving understanding of how they intersect with academic, social, and professional life. They achieve this through actively promoting good mental health, socials, peer support spaces, awareness campaigns, and skills workshops.

Study well [3.3.5]

Study Well is Queen Mary Students' Union's annual wellbeing campaign, designed to support student mental health and wellbeing during high-pressure assessment and examination periods. The programme combines wellbeing activities, peer support, academic guidance and signposting to specialist services, helping students manage stress and maintain their mental health while studying.

In 2024/25 the QMSU Study Well campaign provided practical, visible support during assessment periods, helping students manage stress and protect their mental health. Through a programme of free activities, study spaces and wellbeing events, including Pomodoro Study Sessions, Yoga, Creative Breaks and our brand-new Self-Care & Wellbeing Fair featuring free food from Deliveroo, outdoor yoga and brand partner-led experiences, we created a programme of low-pressure opportunities for students to rest, recharge and connect. Alongside online resources and guidance available via the Study Well Hub, the campaign promoted healthy study habits and ensured students could access support when they needed it most

By promoting self-care, early intervention and access to support, Study Well helps students maintain their wellbeing and succeed academically.

Mindfulness courses [3.3.5]

Queen Mary offers a rich diet of mindfulness activities to students who want to thrive, rather than just survive, at university.

The sessions are led by mindfulness teacher Bob Chase and actively promote good practices supporting good mental health, including meditation. Some take place online, and others in person a St Benet’s Chaplaincy on our Mile End Campus, ensuring access for all students. There is also a Mindful Study app with guided meditations and tools to manage procrastination and pre-exam stress. 

Your Mind Matters: Webinars [3.3.5]

Good mental health is actively promoted through webinars, available to all students at Queen Mary University London. Webinars available in 2024/25 included:

• An introduction to dealing with change
• An introduction to grounding and breathing techniques
• An introduction to mindfulness

Therapeutic Gym Group for Black Women [3.3.5]

The Therapeutic Gym Group for Black Women offers a space for Black women to take part in an assisted workout with a trainer at Q-motion, followed by a reflective session, promoting good mental health. After 40 minutes of active moving, participants come together in a private, safe and confidential space, spending 60 minutes discussing the session and what came up for them, alongside themed topics.

Advice and counselling service [3.3.5]

Queen Mary’s Advice and Counselling Service offers all students free, confidential access to specialist welfare advisers, counsellors and mental-health professionals. These services cover financial and visa support, one-to-one counselling (both online and face-to-face), crisis support, and group workshops designed for diverse student populations. By proactively supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our students the university helps ensure no student is excluded from education due to health barriers.

All student support staff based in our Schools and Institutes - including Academic Advisors - are trained to signpost students experiencing difficulties with their mental health to appropriate services. Any student declaring a mental health diagnosis as a disability will be proactively contacted by the Disability & Dyslexia Service on application and at enrolment.