Prioritising Mental Health and Wellbeing with the BRIT Challenge 2024
From Saturday 24 February – Sunday 24 March, Sport & Fitness participated in the BRIT Challenge 2024.
The BRIT (British Inspiration Trust) is a charity focusing on supporting and improving mental health, fitness, and wellbeing. We hosted a number of fitness-focused activities for students, staff and members to get involved in, with some challenges shaped around the number ‘24’, this year’s BRIT Challenge theme.
Meditation
For those looking to channel their inner zen, we hosted a mix of free self-guided and instructor-led mediation sessions, both in person and online, allowing people to join in from the comfort of their own space! Meditation is an easy and accessible way to bring a feeling of calm, control and focus to busy life schedules that can often feel overwhelming.
Classes
To make our regular class timetable even more accessible, we reduced costs to £2.40 per session, encouraging members and non-members to engage in physical activity in a fun, social and supportive environment. From intense cardio spin classes and body-attack to gentle Hatha and Kundalini Yoga, there was something for everyone to get involved in.
Social Sport
During the month we also offered free taster sessions for our popular social sport and sessions, encouraging people to engage in sports they may not have tried before. Sports included basketball, tennis and netball. Participating in sports, regardless of ability level, can help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety whilst connecting with others.
Cardio Tennis
Over on our outdoor courts we promoted our, fast-paced Cardio Tennis sessions, designed to combine hand-eye coordination, physical activity and most importantly – fun! To tie into the BRIT theme, we set a 24-shot rally challenge, keeping our participants on their toes.
Active Residences
Students who live in University or partner-owned accommodation can benefit from our free student sport and social activities timetable through the Active Residences programme. Alongside the regular timetabled activities including wheelchair basketball, games nights and just run sessions, the team hosted two aesthetic walks around Winterbourne Botanic Garden. Studies prove that walking in nature reduces stress, lifts mood, and promotes overall wellbeing.
240-Hour Fitness Challenge
To ramp up our BRIT Challenge efforts further, from Thursday 14 March, we set a challenge for our members to achieve a combined total of 240-hours’ worth of cardio activity across our treadmills, cross-trainers, rowing machines and spin bikes in just ten days. Our members didn’t disappoint, hitting the target in just three days, and finishing with an incredible 296 hours logged by the end of the challenge period, far exceeding our initial target!
BRIT CEO visits Sport & Fitness
Midway through the challenge we had a visit from BRIT Challenge Non-Paid CEO, Phil Packer. It was a pleasure to welcome Phil to our Sport & Fitness Centre, showing him around our facilities whilst discussing the importance of promoting physical activity as a key tool for improving mental health and wellbeing.
It was fantastic to have so many students, staff and community members engage with our BRIT Challenge activities this year. We look forward to putting on even more activities next year, whilst continuing to promote activities that help boost mental health and wellbeing across communities.
