Ayrshire College’s Sports department went the extra mile for Mental Health Awareness Week earlier this month with a two outdoor fitness challenges that raised money for local charities. 


Jamie Lane, from Ayr, who has served as a field medic in the Army and has been a serving member of the Army Reserves for the last five years, was the lead organiser on a 12-mile walk from our Kilwinning Campus to the Kilmarnock Campus. The event was run by NC Advanced Sport and Fitness class, who were accompanied on the day by HND Fitness students - one of which (Martin Neville) decided to challenge himself further by carrying a 20kg weight along the route. 

 

Jamie said: “My class were tasked with creating an event as part of our course work and we wanted to do something that was both meaningful and challenging. We started by looking at the logistics of the event and carried out a practice walk to make sure the route was safe. The day of the event was a big success, and we had around 30 people successfully completing the walk. We also raised £200 for The Kris Boyd Charity, which will really make a difference to people’s lives.” 

 

The HND Fitness class, led by 18-year-old, Aidan Mitchell, completed a three-loop cycle around the Isle of Cumbrae, raising £533 for Megan’s Space.

 

Aidan said: “As a group we decided we wanted to host an event which was unique to any others done previously by the college. I grew up in Largs and have worked in Mapes of Millport, one of two bike shops on the island, for almost four years now. With the knowledge I have of the island and bike rental as an activity, as a group we agreed it would be a great day out, with the added challenge of completing three full rotations of the island, approximately 50km. In the end, the event was a fantastic day for all who took part.” 

 

John McTaggart, Curriculum Manager for Sport and Fitness (Kilmarnock), adds: “The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week was about creating communities that care, which speaks to everything we stand for at Ayrshire College. These two ambitious student-led events involved being active outdoors in Ayrshire - a brilliant way of boosting mental health. They also raised important funds for two local charities that we work closely with throughout the year, both of which exist to help young people manage their mental health.”