Looking for something new to do in 2022? Perhaps the Imperial People we have got to know over the last twelve months might inspire you.

Each week Imperial People profiles a different member of the Imperial community. This year we have heard from staff whose work focuses on networking, shoulder and spine biomechanics and melanomas. Students studying Medicine, Public Health, Design Engineering and Mechanical Engineering have told us about their studies.  

But as well as hearing about their professional lives we love to find out about what people get up to away from College. Here are some of the themes of the year. 

Get writing

For Davina Tijani and Dr Stefano Sandrone 2021 provided the chance to write. Davina indulged her love of writing, by authoring science fiction and fantasy books for children and adults. Stefano started a blog called Alumni Brains which features neuroscience alumni. 

Get moving

Our 2021 profilees were an active bunch, with walking and running the most popular activities. Several people talked about how long walks had allowed them to discover new parts of London as well as being good for their mental health. For Simon Herriott his daily commute was replaced by a run along the beach – not bad! 

Visits to the local basketball court and climbing wall, learning to rollerskate and doing karate kept our colleagues fit and healthy. 

Get playing 

Music played an important part of 2021 for some people. Kemi Aofolaju performed with colleagues in The Gastric Band cover band whilst Andrew Grieve played drums on an album. Perhaps recording an album or starting a band seems too big a step, in which case you might consider learning a new instrument or, like Dr Tiffany Chiu, picking up an old one again. 

Get creative

Creativity was rife amongst our colleagues. From following fiendish recipes to learning to bake bread and making a mean doughnut, spending time in the kitchen has been a big hit this year.  

For those with artistic tendencies, street photography, calligraphy and pendulum art were all creative outlets pursued in 2021.  

If you prefer more practical activities you may get inspiration from our colleagues who enjoyed working on cars or learning how to operate a telescope. 

Get volunteering

Volunteering their time to help others has been important for several of our Imperial People. Kwaku Duah-Asante uses his medical skills to volunteer for Street Doctors which equips young people affected by violence with the emergency first aid skills to save lives. Josh Chana is a Community Ambassador for The Movember Foundation and is passionate about getting men to talk about their health.  

Dr Gurpreet Singh used lockdown to volunteer for Sikh charities providing meals to care homes and homeless shelters. Meanwhile Nana Asante Asamoah-Danso volunteered closer to home, working in Imperial’s face shield assembly unit which made over 50,000 visors for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Dr Johannah Jackson has used her regular running to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Get relaxing

Spending time meditating helped provide peace and stability to Dr Thrishantha Nanayakkara during the worst of the pandemic. 

For others, plants have been an important source of relaxation. Gardening, trying (and not always succeeding) to look after houseplants and flower arranging have also filled colleagues’ free time. 

Time to try something new? 

Whether you love making new year's resolutions or you hate the whole concept, we hope that some of our Imperial Peoples’ favourite things might give you inspiration for 2022. 

Here are some of the things that you can get involved with at College: 

• Imperial has 100s of student clubs and societies  
• Move Imperial offers something for staff and students 
• Our staff networks provide a chance to meet new people and attend social events