Ayrshire College wins Green Gown Award
Ayrshire College has won a UK-wide award for its #PassingPositivity mental health awareness campaign.
The college was nominated in two categories at the Green Gown Awards held on Tuesday 26 November, winning one award.
The Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by colleges and universities throughout the UK and Ireland, and emphasise an institution’s role in enabling and empowering young people to tackle pressing global issues.
Ayrshire College won the ‘Benefitting Society’ for its high-profile #PassingPositivity campaign, organised by HND Coaching and Developing Sport students.
#PassingPositivity garnered celebrity support on social media from the likes of WWE wrestler Drew McIntyre, Outlander actor Steven Cree, sports broadcasters Hayley McQueen and Jim White, and the late wrestler Adrian ‘Lionheart’ McCallum.
The Sport & Fitness students’ all-day event aimed to raise awareness of the benefits that physical activity can have on a person’s mental health. The event raised £1,587.53 for the Kris Boyd Charity.
#PassingPositivity took place at the College’s Kilmarnock Campus. Kris Boyd was there to lend his support, as well as former Kilmarnock FC footballer Andy McLaren and the Scottish Football Association’s (SFA) Head of Community Development Paul McNeill – who fronted the SFA’s ‘Football Saved My Life’ campaign.
The college was also shortlisted in the Student Engagement category for the Jo Love Soccer Centre – which provides free football sessions to Ayrshire girls.
The weekly sessions are organised in partnership with the SFA’s South West of Scotland region and Active Schools.
Ayrshire College has an impressive track record at the Green Gown Awards.
- In 2018, the College was nominated for the Next Generation Learning and Skills Award.
- In 2017, Ayrshire College was nominated for the Community and Student Engagement Awards – winning the latter.
- In 2016, Sport & Fitness lecturer David Dougan was shortlisted for the Staff Award, while the College was Highly Commended for the Community Award.
James Adams, Head of Learning and Skills for Sport & Fitness at Ayrshire College, said “I am delighted that Passing Positivity has received recognition from the Green Gown Awards for the outstanding work that the students have conducted. The issue of mental health is of critical importance and our staff and students are doing what they can to make a difference to their communities.”
Iain Patton, CEO at EAUC and co-host of the Green Gown Awards ceremony, said: “Now in its 15th year, the Green Gown Awards celebrate the very pinnacle of best practice in a sector that is well ahead of the curve on the sustainability agenda. The submissions this year were of an incredibly high calibre, tackling a huge array of sustainable development areas. It was a hard process to pick the winners, and it involved over 90 national and international judges.”
28 November 2019
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