Well Fit team boost for student’s health
RIVERSIDE College in Widnes has launched a bid to help its students become ‘Well Fit’ after it received a grant to slash the number of young scholars who have less than 30 minutes of physical activity each week.
National public funding agency Sport England issued the cash as part of its Towards An Active Nation initiative.
A consultation has been ongoing at Riverside to work out how to spend the funding.
The college had now developed a 12-week programme called Well Fit, which integrates sport into their timetable.
A Riverside spokesman said the aim is to boost exercise levels as well as provide ideas and activities they can use in their future careers.
Initially, students on entry level, level one and level two courses across different subjects will take part, with the programme to be rolled out to others after Christmas.
The project is being led ● by Keith Barker with support from sports apprentices Max Pye and Tim Murphy.
The team has been tasked with introducing students to different sports such as including trampolining, taekwondo, dance, bench ball and ice skating
Sport England is investing £5m in colleges after research found nearly a fifth of college students do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week and that two thirds of that group do nothing at all.
Keith said: “The ‘Well Fit’ programme has got off to a great start at the college.
“We were determined to make sure it was student-led and they have all been keen to let us know what activities they would like to try.
“As part of the Government programme we have been tasked will getting 350 students more active throughout the year and in the first term we have already reached over 230.
“Some students were unsure in the first session but have all enjoyed taking part.
“We have already organised different activities including fitness classes and circuit training.
“And as well as listening to the different sports the students want to try we have tried to tailor classes to the subjects they are studying, with early years students learning new activities they can use in their work placements.”