Growing Together For Children's Mental Health Week
Ayrshire College has been active in supporting Children's Mental Health Week (7-13 February 2022). Every evening in partnership with Vibrant Communities, college students have been working with the staff from Vibrant Communities to develop a range of sporting activities to engage children from the local community. This year's theme for Children's Mental Health week is Growing Together, so far this week children from all over Ayrshire have been coming to the college to get coached in Football at the Rose Reilly Football Academy and the Kris Boyd Football Centre and also in Rugby at the new Gordon Reid Rugby Academy. All these activities are available for primary school children and are free. All participants are given the full training kit to make them feel part of the team.
Cherryl Fulton, Active Schools Coordinator, of East Ayrshire Vibrant Communities states that “Sport and physical activity are paramount for young people’s mental health. On a weekly basis over 140 young people participate in physical activity through our “Connecting Communities” programme. When young people take part in sports, it gives them the opportunity to meet new people, create friendships, form bonds with positive role models, develop positive attitudes towards physical activity and most of all have fun! Within all our Connecting Community Sports Hub Clubs, we see these positive attitudes and friendships being formed on a daily basis with the outcome that our young people grow in confidence and have higher self-esteem. To witness the growth and development of young people within our programmes makes me so proud”
James Adams, Head of Learning and Skills at Ayrshire College highlighted that “all our after schools activity is free and gives children from the local community the opportunity to come together and mix with children from different schools and make new friends. This not only benefits their physical development but also improves their mental health which is particularly important as we emerge from Covid 19.
The after schools activities on offer at Ayrshire College are free and can be booked by registering at the following links:
Kris Boyd Football Centre - https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/KRISBOYD/
Rose Reilly Football Academy - https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/REILLY/
Kilmarnock Community Sports Trust (KCST) Development Academy - https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/KCSTFootball/
Gordy Reid Rugby Academy - https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/GORDYRUGBY/
View our YouTube playlist and find out what the children have been doing during these sessions.
Share this post
