Issuu

Activator handbook 2026/27

Welcome Welcome to the Activator team. We’re so excited to have you join us in the Sport and Physical Activity (SPA) team, within Sport, Exercise and Health (SEH)! This handbook aims to introduce you to the SEH division, while providing helpful information on a range of areas, including:

Our strategic pillars

Further role opportunities

Our values and behaviours

Getting paid

Who are the SPA team?

Supporting you within your role

The Activator Code

Your professional development

Your role as an Activator

Facilities information and map

Shifts and rotas

Who to contact, and how

Our strategic pillars Developing active communities

Improve health and wellbeing Increase the physical activity levels of our University community, driven by focus on health and wellbeing.

Support to thrive Provide an inspirational and inclusive sport and physical activity service, which allows everyone across our community to reach their potential.

Developing communities and belonging Use the power of sport and physical activity to enable our community to meet like-minded people, develop lifelong friendships and build connection with the University.

We Are Bristol. 3

Our values and behaviours These core values and behaviours have been created by S.E.H staff as an evolution of our staff charter. They enable us to focus on delivering excellent customer service, while also providing support to our fellow colleagues, where needed.

B:WELCOMING

Acknowledge the customer / colleague Greet with a smile Demonstrate open body language

B:SUPPORTIVE

Ask questions and listen to establish a rapport Identify the needs of the customer / colleague Provide a direct or indirect solution

B:A ROLE MODEL

Dress appropriately Demonstrate appropriate behaviour Demonstrate inclusivity

Who are the ‘SPA team’? The Sport and Physical Activity (SPA) team, work within the Sport, Exercise and Health division. John Wilford Sport & Health Manager

Laura McCaffery Development Officer, Sport

john.wilford@bristol.ac.uk

jx23090@bristol.ac.uk

Joe Leaver Development Officer, Inclusion

Jack Stinton-Brownbridge Sport Engagement Practitioner

joe.leaver@bristol.ac.uk

ou21755@bristol.ac.uk

Molly Poulter-Williams Development Officer, Wellbeing

Craig Dark Sport Engagement Practitioner

molly.williams@bristol.ac.uk

cd17545@bristol.ac.uk

Lorna Hatch Development Officer, Health

Lisa Sawyer Sports Administrator

lorna.hatch@bristol.ac.uk

lisa.sawyer@bristol.ac.uk

Reach the whole team via email: sport-active@bristol.ac.uk 6

The Activator Code With your collective inputs on the expectations you'd like to set for yourself - and for each other - as well as our staff team thoughts, we have created the following Activator Code. The Code reflects the values and behaviours that we’ve all agreed are most important, and should be viewed as a foundation for how we all work together. Over the coming year, every decision, action, and interaction should align with, and reinforce, this code.

Our values: Inclusive

Professional

Engaged

Proactive

Positive attitude

Our actions: Champion physical activity and sport Engage with all participants Communicate with everyone

Take initiative Be ready and prepared for shifts

Your role as an Activator Your role as an Activator is essential in driving student participation, and fostering a supportive, healthy and inclusive environment for all, across all the programmes delivered by Sport, Exercise and Health. Across the year, you will support at various activities - each with their own duties but creating a welcoming, friendly, and encouraging environment at every activity will be key.

For each activity that you support, you’ll be assigned a specific role, and a responsibilities briefing will be given in advance - outlining the specific tasks that are required of you, to ensure that the activity runs smoothly and safely. In addition to these activity-specific responsibilities, you should also meet the following responsibilities at each activity you support: Introduce yourself to the activity lead Bring positive energy towards the activity - you will uplift yourself, the leader and the participants Welcome participants into the activity with a friendly and approachable attitude, being mindful of your body language and how you will be perceived by participants Listen and observe participants to understand where extra support may be needed Support the activity lead in equipment set-up, ensuring the activity can run safely Support the activity lead in packing away equipment safely and neatly, being conscious of how future users will receive the equipment Be a point of contact for any participant queries, whether about this activity or another programme on offer Share any feedback with the wider SPA team, to ensure the activity is running as effectively as it can for everyone. Remembering these tasks will help you in providing a welcoming, friendly, and supportive environment for all activities you support, creating the best environment possible for the participants to thrive!

Shifts and rotas How they are created At the start of each term, the SPA team will be in touch with you to understand your availability. The information you provide will help us to create a shift rota, ensuring that all activities that require Activator support are covered. This may mean you are not working at your preferred activity, but we hope you can view this as an opportunity to try something new. Our priority is to ensure that all activities are appropriately staffed. We have an expectation that you will commit to activating the agreed activities for the 12 weeks of the term.

The availability you provide at the start will also be used to understand your capacity for any activities that arise throughout term. If your availability significantly changes during term, please update the SPA team as soon as possible. Here’s an example of the availability spreadsheet:

Shift cover A benefit of the Activator role is the flexibility that we provide, by allowing you to switch shifts every term. We understand that things come up unexpectedly, which may mean you cannot work on a session as planned across any of the SEH programmes. If this happens: It is your responsibility to sort out your own cover, and update the rota Check the programme session brief to familiarise yourself with their cover process.

We will be keeping a tally of how many times cover requests are made but not filled, which results in a session / event going uncovered, or a programme leader needing to step in to find cover. If someone makes multiple requests that consistently fail to find cover, we will hold that person responsible. If the number of requests for cover is deemed to be excessive, it can lead to followup conversations with programme coordinators. An Activator’s continued request for cover will be monitored, and the SPA team will act accordingly on a case-by-case basis, keeping in mind academic schedules and other circumstances. Repeated late requests may result in you not being allocated to shifts moving forward. A key component of the job is flexibility, including agreeing to work sessions that fall within term time. Remember - all Activators are students with their own pressures. It would be disrespectful and wasteful of time to need to repeatedly find cover. If your availability has changed, please speak with the SPA team. Here’s an example of the rota:

Further role opportunities Supporting the B:Active programme will cover a lot of your role as an Activator, but there are opportunities to work across other programmes and events in Sport, Exercise and Health. When opportunities to support other activities across the division arise throughout term, we will get in touch with you to understand your availability for that specific activity. Before you agree to support a new activity, check your current commitments to make sure they won’t be impacted. Some of the new opportunities may be paid, while others may be on a voluntary basis. We will also let you know the pay details when sharing the opportunity with you. Here are just some that might be of interest: Game Changers Healthy Minds Movement for Health Black Student Sport Project Ignite: Disability Inclusion festival Bristol Run Series Collaboration events (e.g. with Global Lounge and Student Inclusion teams).

Getting paid All Activators are contracted through the University’s Temporary Staffing Service (TSS). Activator contracts will run from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027. Throughout this period, we will provide you with paid opportunities across SEH programmes. Activators are paid monthly, in arrears. This means that hours accrued in September are paid on the October pay day. Salary is usually paid on the 26th day of the month, however on occasion - Christmas, for example - pay day may be slightly earlier. We will let you know when this is the case. Activators are paid for the agreed time worked. This includes, where applicable for the programme, set-up & break-down time, along with time pre- and post-session to support participants. Travel cannot be paid due to University policy, but time will be added into shifts to accommodate travel e.g. you will start 15 minutes earlier to allow travel to a location.

How to log your hours Open the individual working hours log that the SPA team created for you (a shared Excel spreadsheet with a tab for each month) Update the log with the hours you have worked, by 9 am on the last working day of each month. We recommend updating it weekly. The SPA team will then approve your hours for the month and submit them, through a separate system, to the TSS office and Payroll.

Key points to remember: Undergraduate students are advised not to work more than 15 hours per week during term-time International students who hold a Student Visa to study in the UK (formerly known as Tier 4) are subject to working restrictions imposed by the UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration). The permission to work, or lack thereof, is evident on the student’s Visa vignette in their passport, or on their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card. The TSS office will assess all students' right to work and will document it appropriately. Students will not become eligible for assignments that would permit working beyond their UKVI permission. Students with a Student Visa will be required by the TSS team to maintain additional records of working hours. This will be explained directly by TSS.

Supporting you within your role Team meetings We will be running team meetings monthly to provide you with the opportunity to come together, ask questions, share feedback, and hear updates from the SPA team across all programmes. We will run two meetings in the last week of every month, on separate days and times, to account for your availability and other commitments. Meeting invitations will be sent to your university email address, and we ask that you RSVP to the invitation each month, to indicate which meeting you will be attending. If you have something you would like to discuss in a meeting, drop the team an email in advance, to let us know.

1:1 development sessions Your development is a priority to our team, so throughout the year we will have 1:1 development sessions with you. This will be an opportunity to check in on how you are finding the role, any areas in which you would like to develop, and where we can support you further. Here’s an overview of the development sessions: Session #1 – September Session #2 – November Session #3 – March

Reasonable adjustments We are here to support you and help create an environment that allows you to excel within your role. To ensure we support you in the best way, the University has a ‘Reasonable Adjustments Plan (RAP)’. 16

It is a framework within which to discuss, agree, and review any support that may be required at work due to a disability or health condition. This could include visible and non-visible disability, mental health conditions, neurodivergence, fluctuating conditions, menopause transition, and other impairments. Please reach out to the SPA team at any time of year - you don’t need to wait until your next development session, if you would like to discuss this further.

Your professional development Bristol PLUS Award Your role as an Activator provides excellent experience that may contribute towards the Bristol PLUS Award. Through delivering activities, supporting participants and taking part in training and development opportunities, you'll gain skills in areas such as communication, teamwork, leadership and organisation. The Bristol PLUS Award can help you reflect on these experiences, evidence your skills to employers, and gain recognition for your achievements.

Bristol Skills Profile The Bristol Skills Profile is an online platform that helps students reflect on, record, and develop nine essential skills gained through their studies and wider university experiences, enabling you to track your personal and professional growth. You can use it to recognise and evidence your skills, making it easier to demonstrate your strengths in job applications, interviews, and future career development. There’s a quiz you can take, and then start developing your skills!

Facility map Stoke Bishop Hiatt Baker gym Coombe Dingle Sports Complex

Clifton

Indoor Sports Centre

w al 10

ut es

50 minutes walk

19 minutes bus

Clifton

50 19 mi m nut in es ut es wa bu lk s

Swimming pool and Bristol SU

m inu in te ut s es wa tr lk ai n

Temple Quarter

Sloane Robinson Building Langford gym

Langford 20

Facility contact details Indoor Sports Centre 3 Tyndall Avenue, Clifton BS8 1TP 0117 428 3200* Coombe Dingle Sports Complex Coombe Lane, Coombe Dingle BS9 2BJ 0117 394 0281

Find the facility opening times on the UOB Active app

Swimming Pool (Richmond Building) Queens Road, Clifton BS8 1LN 0117 428 3918

Click on any facility address to bring up MazeMap directions

Langford Gym (Langford Campus) Stock Lane, Langford BS40 5DU Hiatt Baker Hall Parry’s Lane, Stoke Bishop BS9 1AD Sloane Robinson Building (Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus) Cattle Market Road, Bristol BS1 6AZ

*Use this number if you can’t get hold of any SPA Team members, and need to share an urgent update.

Who to contact, and how We are here to help and support you through your Activator role. If you have any Activator role-specific questions, or general queries - such as your capacity to support programmes - or a question regarding pay, please reach out to the SPA team, via our shared team mailbox. When working on a specific programme, and a question or issue arises, please contact the Programme Lead first, and reach out to the SPA team if further support is needed. Ways to contact the SPA team Team mailbox: sport-active@bristol.ac.uk Microsoft Teams: ‘SEH Activator’ group chat In person: Our normal office days are Tuesday and Thursday, at the Indoor Sports Centre (1st floor), but you can always drop us a message, to confirm before travelling. You can remind yourself of ‘who’s who’ in the SPA team, and find individual email addresses on page 6. Pay or contract-related queries Temporary Staffing Service: tss-pay@bristol.ac.uk

bristol.ac.uk/sport