The Active 8 Project
What is Active-8?
In the summer of 2017, the college was awarded a large funding grant from Sport England. The focus is around using sport and activities as a vehicle to facilitate improving mental health and providing personal development for students. The two year project was so successful, the college was awarded a further year to take us up to summer 2020.
The project has 8 themes which can be selected from to create individualised pathways for students. Some students will want to focus on a particular characteristic in depth and attend several sessions from one theme whereas others may want to build a more rounded program by selecting sessions from several themes. This is completely up to the student and should create a pathway to tackle areas they most need to improve.
What are the 8 themes?
- Healthy Eating – Static Bikes
- Team Building – Activities and Puzzles
- Stress Busting - Boxing
- Confidence – Self Defence
- Motivation - Bounce
- Resilience – Yoga/Zumba
- Mindfulness - Pilates
- Fit4Purpose – Linked to course requirements
What does a session look like?
Group sessions are made up of two parts. The first part will be an interactive theory session, which includes activities such as making stress balls in the stress busting strand and measuring out the amount of sugar that is in common foods in the healthy eating strand. The second part of the session is the active part where the students get to try out activities such as boxing, bounce and pilates. The project also offers 1-1 sessions for students particularly around anger management and stressbusting activity.
How do I get involved?
Students can be referred to the active 8 project by student advice, their tutors or can self refer.
Tutors can book PDR sessions via the booking form here or contact Kirsty Armstrong on Kirsty.Armstrong@oaklands.ac.uk
