Challenge Accepted 2020
How we are keeping our communities active with #StayInWorkOut.
Spring is a pivotal time for youth programmes at Student Hubs, a chance to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather for sports, outdoor learning and arts. Unfortunately restrictions have left our hubs in Bristol and Southampton unable to deliver on the ground activities but we wanted to continue our mission of keeping our volunteers, young people and wider communities active. This is where CHALLENGE ACCEPTED was launched.
From Monday 27th April — Friday 1st May, Southampton and Bristol Hub released a 5 day social media campaign which challenged their audiences daily to take part in a specific exercise. These were:
Day 1 Holding an Airplane Pose for 30 seconds each side
Day 2 Sit ups in 3 different variations (see graphic)
Day 3 Holding the Tree Pose for 1 minute on each leg
Day 4 10 Press Ups
Day 5 Forearm Plank
Here are our reflections and highlights from the week:
Engaging new communities:
Student Hubs work directly with university students within the cities we are based. We have seen that volunteering is a fantastic way to take a break from studying, meet new people, engage in your local community and to feel like you are doing something worthwhile. In this current time however we recognise that it is not just university students who benefit from getting involved in social action — school leavers and college students are also looking for opportunities to stay active while being active citizens. In Southampton we teamed up with Lifelab to offer year 11 leavers the opportunity to set challenges and encourage people to try something new.
In addition to this, our university students usually take part in volunteering in their city of study; when they go home for breaks, volunteering is no more. However virtual opportunities have not only allowed volunteers to get involved from afar but as you can see in our round up video, students have been able to participate in activities with their families and pets!
Joining the #StayInWorkOut movement:
Even though our campaign has finished, the mission to stay active at home is not over. Join the Movement is Sport England’s campaign funded by The National Lottery to keep the nation moving during lockdown. Using the hashtag #StayInWorkOut on social media, school classes, families and individuals from all over the country were sharing how they were staying active. Being a part of this campaign meant Student Hubs were not only able to celebrate the sporting achievements of our existing communities but of so many others from around the world. A huge congratulations to everyone who has been staying in and working out during this time.
It is not too late to get active!
We will not be posting our challenges daily but that does not mean you cannot get involved! All of our challenges can be found here at any time. Make sure you tag us on social media if you do:
Twitter: @studenthubs @Southamptonhub @BristolHub
Facebook: @StudentHubs @southampton.hub @BristolHubpage
Sport England have also provided resources for getting active at home, getting active outdoors as well as the facts to keep you safe while keeping active during the current pandemic.
This month the Student Hubs team are staying active by walking/ running the distance between our hubs to raise money for COVID-19 response projects in our communities. Whether you are able to donate to our fundraiser, cheer us on or share your running tips, we would love to hear from you!
Please comment below with tips/ encouragement or email us.
You can donate here.
