Sustainability Matters | Top sporting Universities lead the way
Its probably no coincidence that top Sports Universities like Exeter, Hartpury and Bristol are looking into sustainable ways to support and empower their students to look after themselves and perform at the highest level, whilst also looking to minimise environmental impact. Self aware, robust athletes who are healthy and happy and looking to perform at elite level are the goal for many Higher Education (HE) institutions including Bristol, Hartpury and Exeter.
All three Universities in their own right are creating outstanding hubs for performance, where student athletes can continue their education and work to develop and perform in their chosen sport. Many have taken this pathway on to careers in professional sport and international competition. Just look at international rugby for a plethora of examples. Equally, among their peers, a quick glance at the BUCS (British University & Colleges Sport) league tables or the national leagues shows you that these institutions are right at the fore in this space and it is testament to the fact that they are doing good things.
It's the combined drive and mindset to support students and reduce impact that has led these three great performance programmes to work with MoveWell, where we have provided bespoke packs which promote and facilitate self-care and athlete led wellness - sustainable health habits with sustainably made products - now that's got a nice ring to it!
We spoke to Matt Paine, Head of Performance Sport at Bristol who gave us this insight into his thoughts: ‘we chose to work with MoveWell for our performance scholars because the packs provide a great toolkit for promoting athlete wellbeing and open up lots of useful conversations’ He went on to say ‘ As an institution we are committed to improving sustainability and reducing environmental impact and MoveWell products are second to none in that respect’.
Each institution has used their packs slightly differently. Exeter Uni Head of Performance Nicky Savil put her thoughts into words for us. ‘We’ve really enjoyed using the MoveWell prehab bundles as prizes for our performance athletes of the month. It’s been great to ensure athletes receive recognition for some fantastic achievements but also a lot of hard work behind the scenes that can sometimes go unnoticed. The MoveWell prehab bundles have proved really popular and its brilliant for us to reward with something beneficial to their prehab and recovery. With many of our teams travelling nationally for BUCS Wednesday or weekend leagues the travel size element of the products are great and makes for no excuses on the road!’
Hartpury College and University are looking to use their packs in their Rugby development pathway for the 2023/24 season and are also stocking them in their Sports Medicine Clinic. Richard Mack Head of Medical Services and Senior Lecturer in Sports Therapy had this to say ‘I am always looking for quality products that can help our student athletes reach their potential. What initially impressed me with the MoveWell products was their quality and design alongside the company's desire to produce sustainable goods. After using the products we have found them also to be robust and we are excited to start using the MoveWell packs with our athletes to help with movement and recovery.’
It seems the link between human health and the health of our planet is getting clearer and clearer. These performance driven institutions recognise and value the importance of promoting sustainable health habits with sustainably sourced products. We wish all three and their students the best of luck as the academic year draws to a close and wish to extend our thanks and gratitude for working with MoveWell. Watch this space for more on this subject as we look at individual case studies in subsequent posts.