Hundreds of people benefit from free college wellbeing programme

HUNDREDS of students and workers in north east Wales are improving their health and wellbeing with Coleg Cambria.
More and more people are signing up to the college’s free Active Mind, Body and Soul sessions in a bid to better their lifestyles.
Around 800 learners and 200 staff members took part in the Active Cambria programme between September and December, and the numbers are up 20% year on year.
Coordinator Donna Welsh said a culture of togetherness and support is encouraging students to participate and take the message and activities home to share with family and friends.
“The Mind, Body and Soul sessions in particular have proven to be popular again, the demand is growing all the time,” said Donna.
“Students from all areas of the college are taking part – from equine and IT to hair and beauty and engineering – which shows the appeal.
“As well as physical sessions we have held talks and interactive workshops on how to make lifestyle changes and take a more holistic approach, which have been well-received.
“As a result, people are telling us they already feel healthier and more confident, so we are delighted to be able to help make a difference.”
The talks were spoken about at the Welsh Colleges Forum and will be presented at the launch of the Welsh Colleges Wellbeing Strategy.
Donna said members of the Forum were very impressed with the programme and the focus upon an individual soul to help develop confidence and tackle depression.
“The main aim of the Mind, Body and Soul sessions across all of our sites has encouraged students to have an open mind, learn coping strategies and – when placed in stressful or uncomfortable situations – to be able to deal with them calmly,” she added.
“Also, to plan exciting activities which they enjoy and are passionate about, to help balance pressure and busy lifestyles.
“Anything from drinking more water, an increase in exercise and spending more time with friends and family can have a positive impact, and that’s certainly proving to be the case, with staff commenting on how they can see a change in students’ confidence and morale during lectures and in general.”
Developed in line with nationwide bodies including Sport Wales and Colegau Cymru, Active Cambria has helped to encourage a positive and healthy working environment while serving as best practice for some of the country’s top organisations using three distinct categories – Get Active, Elite Sport and Future Sport.
For more information, visit www.cambria.ac.uk/category/active-cambria or follow @colegcambria on social media.