£2000 boost for healthy bodies and minds

Published On Thu 11 Dec 2014 by Grant Hill

The University of Dundee’s Alumni Fund has raised £2000 to help promote the role that diet and exercise can play in enhancing mental wellbeing.

The money was raised as part of this year’s Alumni Fund telephone campaign and has been donated to ‘Creating Healthy Bodies and Healthy Minds’, a partnership between Dundee University Students’ Union (DUSA), the Sports Union and the University’s Student Services team. The project seeks to raise awareness of the importance of sport and exercise as a means of students’ maintaining good mental health.

Exercise has been shown to have both physical and mental advantages and the partners have worked to encourage students to embrace it as part of an overall wellness plan. Tutors, lecturers and support staff have been encouraged to recommend those who would benefit to the programme and to make them aware of the vast sports and exercise offering at the University.

The funds will be used for students who are suffering financial hardship combined with mental health problems. This programme will offer a 12-week taster session at the University’s Institute of Sport and Exercise (ISE), for students who could not otherwise afford it.

‘Creating Healthy Bodies and Healthy Minds’ will link each student with a Sports Union volunteer during the 12 weeks, in order to encourage the student to go to the gym, swimming pool and/or play a team sport. The money given would go directly to ISE to fund the memberships.

“Sometimes students can become overwhelmed and physical activity can help,” said Rachel Marsh, Dundee Alumni Fund Manager. “We’re happy to support this project and it was one our student callers could rally around.

“It is so easy to become so engrossed in the stress of studies, and exercise can seem another chore, despite the health benefits but if you’re got a friend egging you into the gym it all becomes that much more manageable. ‘Creating Healthy Bodies and Healthy Minds’ is a way for students to help students, which is why so many of our callers felt passionate about the project.”

Each year the Dundee Alumni Fund approaches departments, schools and societies asking them to put forward a project that will improve the student experience. Around 20-25 suggestions are received each year, and alumni are then asked to vote on those they feel would be most helpful. The top five are included in that year’s telephone campaign.

Donations to the Dundee Alumni Fund can be made by visiting http://www.dundee.ac.uk/alumni/donate/.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
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E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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