Ayrshire community partners get behind Walk 4 Lionheart
Ayrshire College students are just two weeks away from their major mental health awareness event of the year, the Walk 4 Lionheart.
Organised as part of the HND Fitness, Health and Exercise group’s course, the Walk 4 Lionheart builds on the important work of the College’s wider mental health campaign #PassingPositivity and is raising money for three local charities: Beautiful Inside and Out, the Kris Boyd Charity, and Megan’s Space.
Started in 2019, the #PassingPositivity initiative has won national awards for its impact in the community in terms of raising awareness of mental health issues, and in particular the benefits physical exercise can have on a person’s wellbeing.
Although this is an event predominantly organised by Ayrshire College students, there are a whole host of partners on board to ensure the event runs smoothly and is a major success.
There has been a great deal of support from the Ayrshire Roads Alliance, North Ayrshire Council and the HALO Enterprise and Innovation Hub, to ensure the route is accessible and prepared for such an event. Sustrans will also be supporting the event with electric bikes to help marshal the walk.
Both the Kilwinning and Kilmarnock Fire Stations are looking forward to officially getting the event started and finished with a blue light send off and welcome.
As it’s a 10-mile walk, there is an obvious need for toilet facilities, which is where Up 4 Loos come in. They have agreed to position six portaloos along the route.
Tesco will be supplying snacks and refreshments at each break point free of charge. While the Rapid Relief Team have also kindly donated food and drink for the end of the sponsored walk, which they will be cooking as part of the barbeque celebrations back on campus.
Only Sport, as they always do with initiatives within the Sport & Fitness department - such as Be Awesome, Be Active and the Connecting Communities football camps with Kris Boyd and Rose Reilly - have supported the College with branded t-shirts for the walk.
While Branding Hub has provided a banner sign to be used during the walk signaling the aims of the event.
Ross Steel, 18 from Caledonian Cowboy Collective pipe band, will be piping the walkers on the final stage of the walk into the College campus.
College colleagues in the Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Finance and Marketing teams, the Horticulture curriculum department, as well as the Student Association and Mental Health and Wellbeing Champions have been instrumental in ensuring the charity walk has the best chance of success.
Now it’s down to the students to deliver on their hard work – and they can’t wait.
David Dougan, the Sport & Fitness lecturer working with the HND Fitness, Health and Exercise students on the event, said: “As part of their course, the students wanted to make a difference in people’s lives by organising this charity walk. They are very passionate about promoting mental health awareness and the #PassingPositivity message. It provides them with real-life experience and a sense of pride that they are contributing to the wellbeing of students, staff and the surrounding communities within Ayrshire College. This impacts on many, this isn’t just for the staff and students at Ayrshire College, this is for our communities, and we encourage as many as possible to sign up and lend their support to make a difference.”
Angela Cox, Principal of Ayrshire College, said: “The College’s award-winning #PassingPositivity campaign has done so much over the years to raise awareness of mental health issues and the support available, not just for our students but for the wider community. I would like to place on record my appreciation to this year’s HND Fitness group who have continued this fine work with the most ambitious event yet. A lot of planning has gone into the Walk 4 Lionheart by our students, and I look forward to congratulating them at the finish line on Friday 19 May.”
Rachael MacDonald, Mental Health and Wellbeing Champion at the Kilmarnock Campus, said: “My role is to highlight the importance of maintaining positive wellbeing and helping to educate and support students, as well as offering guidance to support networks both internally and with our external partners. The Walk 4 Lionheart promotes positive wellbeing through proven techniques – physical activity, accomplishment, and being part of a community to name only a few. I’m so excited to be involved in promoting such a fantastic event!”
Ian McCallum from OnlySport said: "We are really looking forward to the walk as we have seen in the initiatives that we have previously supported, the difference it makes to all involved. We know that the staff and students genuinely care about making a difference to their community, promoting mental health and well-being; we are proud to be part of this.”
11 May 2023
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