NEST is the (N)etwork to (E)ngage, (S)upport & bring (T)ogether Parents and Carers @ King’s. It provides support to staff with parental and/or caring responsibilities through a range of events, an online community, and by offering guidance and representation at strategic and policy level.

Our mission is to provide an inclusive environment for everyone to flourish by supporting all parents and carers, through informing and inspiring the King’s community, and influencing change.

Throughout the year, we hold regular online drop-in sessions at which you can meet other parents and carers to share experiences, seek guidance or support, or hear about the network’s future plans.

NEST is open to all staff, including PGRs, and we welcome those who have caring responsibilities for a child or adult. This includes parents, guardians, primary and secondary carers (including remote carers).

The network is led by two Co-Chairs, supported by a committee, which we are always looking to expand and diversify, to assist us in our work, thereby enabling us to do much more to support our community of parents and carers at King’s, and to ensure better representation of our members.

Staff can find further information about current NEST activities and updates on our internal site.

We run two drop ins each month, from October to July, inclusive.

All drop-ins run 10.30 – 11.30, unless otherwise stated.

• General drop-in: for any parenting or caring topics which colleagues would like to raise.
• Carers’ drop-in: focusing on colleagues across King’s who care for family members or friends who are older, disabled, or who have challenging health conditions.

Our co-sponsored group for staff who care for children with additional needs and/or disabilities also runs drop-ins – please see below for details on how to connect.

Staff can find full details of NEST’s scheduled drop-ins on our internal site.

Co-Chairs

• Pamela Mellen, Lab Manager (King’s Digital Lab)
• Helen Litvak, Director of Brand & Marketing (External Relations) 

Senior Sponsors

Our senior sponsors support our network and act as advocates at senior levels of the university.

• Robin McIver, Deputy Vice President (Operations)

Committee members support the network in planning events, communications, and by leading on projects.

• Claire Crowther, CUSP Centre Manager (Informatics)
• Candela Delgado Marin, EAP Tutor (King’s Foundations)
• Julia Elliott, Associate Director of Project Assurance (Business Assurance)
• Danai Farmaki, Research & Development Funding & Contracts Administrator (Vice Dean Research/Research Office)
• Maryna Whitehead, EAP Tutor (King’s Foundations)

To get involved with the committee, please email nest@kcl.ac.uk outlining the area in which you would like to help. Any support (even if your time commitment is limited) is always greatly appreciated.

Committee members drive so much of what we do – whether it’s getting involved when an opportunity arises, or initiating a new project, all volunteers are encouraged to take initiative as we work together to set the agenda for the network.

NEST’s mission is to support staff and PGRs with caring responsibilities across King’s, by building a staff community, raising awareness and advocating for the community within King’s. The network is run by and for staff – we are all volunteers who want to see King’s be the best place it can be for anyone with caring responsibilities.

To make that happen, NEST needs your support. We are looking for volunteers to join the committee, with the opportunity to get involved in a variety of different areas and activities, depending on your interests and availability. This is an incredibly rewarding opportunity for professional development, to work with staff across King’s and to make a real difference.

We welcome volunteers from diverse backgrounds – we would like to actively encourage staff and PGRs who may be less well-represented in parent and carer spaces to volunteer. This could include, but is not limited to, men and non-binary people, those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, carers for adults and children with disabilities/additional needs, people with disabilities and staff whose work is entirely or primarily performed in-person and academic staff. The more diverse the NEST committee, the better we can support a wide range of staff and PGRs.

Time commitment: Averaging 1–3 hours per week (to be discussed in consultation with your line manager). The exact commitment depends on the individual; it can vary during the year, depending on your availability.

Duration: Not fixed, but we encourage planning to volunteer for two years. We aim to review commitments annually.

Opportunities: We welcome volunteers for any of NEST’s sub-teams:

• Inbox
• Newsletter and Comms
• HR
• Events & Drop-ins
• Carers
• Parenting
• Buddy Scheme
• Manager Training

How to volunteer/find out more: To volunteer, please complete this form, or contact us at nest@kcl.ac.uk if you have any questions or would like to discuss.

Is there something you would like to see NEST do? An activity, project or issue that you’d like the network to get involved in, or do more with?

Please let us know:

1. Which sub-team(s) you would be willing to volunteer with.
2. A little about your background:

• Caring responsibilities (past or present)
• Any experience you have which might be relevant (no experience necessary – it just helps to know where you’re coming from)
• Any other information you’d like to share about why you want to get involved – is there something you’re particularly passionate about? A change you’d like to see?

• Flexible Working – with the Flexible Working Group
• Developing and raising awareness of our community of carers
• Manager training to improve support for parents and carers – with EDI and HR
• Buddy scheme for parents and carers – with EDI
• Working to understand and improve the provision parenting rooms – with E&F and EDI.

NEST and Access King’s co-sponsor a group for staff who care for children (including adult children) with additional needs and/or disabilities. It is a space for staff to support each other and identify areas where additional support and/or resources are needed.

The group connects via Teams – to get involved, please request to join the Access King’s x NEST: a Parent‑Carer’s Group Team.

The group runs drop-ins regularly – to join, please join the Teams group as above. Upcoming drop-in dates in 2024 are:

• Wednesday 15 May, 11.00 – 12.00

• Support for carers on the Parents’ & Carers' Hub (internal only)
• Support for parents on the Parents’ & Carers' Hub (internal only)
• Families under Pressure – these are some lovely short videos put together by researchers at the IoPPN and SLaM NHS.

• The Co-Chairs and Committee members can be contacted at nest@kcl.ac.uk
• Volunteer to join the committee by completing this form, or contact us at nest@kcl.ac.uk
• Sign up to receive our regular newsletter – please use this form to be added to our mailing list.
• Speak to the community of parents and carers from across the university in our Viva Engage Forum.
• Engage with other King’s parents and carers on our Microsoft Team’s Team.
• NEST and Access King’s co-sponsor a group for parents also carers for children (including adult children) with disabilities and long-term medical conditions. You can get involved by joining the group on Teams.