Antony Butcher

Profile

I work in both the School of Music and the School of Performance and Cultural Industries. I provide student support and am often the first port of call for any students who have issues affecting their time at Leeds. I'm here to listen and understand the situation, recomend appropriate support from a wide range of professional support services on and off campus, and to look at what options students have to allow them to succeed in their academic studies. I am also the School's disability contact, meaning I am responsible for coordinating support for disabled students and will liaise with academic tutors and the Disability Services team.

I also work proactively to improve student wellbeing and experience. For example, I co-ordinate a regular tea/coffee morning for students to take a break from their studies and talk about how they are doing. These events often feature extra wellbeing activities including guide dog visits, wellbeing colouring, and knit & natter. I lead the School's Peer Mentoring programme, where returning students help new students settle in to their studies when they first arrive at University. I also take an active role in supporting the Student Voice, working closely with student representatives to find ways to make studying at Leeds even better. In 2019 I was shortlisted for the Wellbeing Award in the Faculty Partnership Awards, and in 2020 I was honoured to receive the Wellbeing Award at both the Faculty and University Partnership Awards.

I have worked on the University Campus since 2014, both for the University and for an international mental health charity that had offices in Leeds. I have a degree in History from Bangor University where I went on to become Student Union President, working to improve the student experience and overseeing the work of a charity with an annual turnover of over £1 million. In my spare time I perform comedy, and have been involved in a range of community groups, having served as chair for two different organisations. I have raised nearly £50,000 for a range of charities through cake sales, hair shaving, and a number of charity bike rides (including riding from Lands End to John o Groats twice). Most recently, in 2022 I cycled solo from New York to San Francisco. 

Responsibilities

• Disability Contact