The Great British Week of Sport

The Great British Week of Sport is an integral week that aims to inspire the nation to get active and to celebrate the power that sport and activity has on our mental, physical and social well-being. Especially in the current climate, sport and physical activity is so important as a tool to maintain a healthy body and mind.

The Great British Week of Sport runs in partnership with the European Week of Sport and each day partners across the world come together to #BeActive in relation to a specific theme. The week consists of a mixture of virtual and physical initiatives ranging from grassroot to elite level, and encourages everyone to take part, regardless of age, background or fitness level.

The week highlighted the benefits sport can have on our mental wellbeing. According to the charity mind, 52% of children and young people and 49% of adults say that their mental health has been impacted by not being able to take part in sport or physical activity because of COVID-19. So, what a important time to get active again!

On Saturday the 19th, Les Mills kickstarted the week with the event ‘World United’ and on Sunday 20th was the #BeActive Festival with StreetGames and NGB’S. On the Monday some special guests from Team Mintridge made an appearance!

We started our week with Mindful Monday, where our amazing ambassadors Olivia Rae and Sam Murray virtually explained why mental health is so important and what they both do to maintain a positive mental well-being. Olivia spoke about the importance of learning from both success and setbacks and how her work as a mentor, helps young people to maintain a positive mindset, even during challenging times. Olympic champion, Sam Murray highlighted how physical activity is an amazing way to give our bodies the opportunity to switch off from all the pressures we experience in everyday life. Sam is also a yoga instructor too, which we highly recommend!

“I enjoy doing YOGA…it’s an opportunity to connect with your body and your mind.”

To watch their videos from the day, click here 

On Tuesday 22nd we wore red for the theme Go RED. Patrick Foster spoke about how he focuses his mentoring programmes on mental health and wellbeing as this can have a positive impact on a young person’s progress and development. Patrick explained the importance of young people getting involved in sport, especially during these challenging times to support their own well-being.

“It can help your physical, mental and social wellbeing and also allows you an outlet which has helped me to deal with issues such as anxiety.”

To watch the video, click here 

Team Mintridge also got involved wearing our best red t-shirts!

National Fitness Day was the most active day yet! Team Mintridge set YOU and your friends a fun, active challenge. We challenged everyone on this day to be active, whether that was running, walking, hopping or scooting! In typical Mintridge style, we also wanted to make it fun by asking you to record your activity on Strava! We had a lot of fun, and some amazing Strava art entries for this challenge. 

The Mintridge Team know all about the benefits of sport and physical activity, and on Thursday 24th, our wonderful trustee Lucinda talked about the wider skills that sport can teach you such as discipline and teamwork and how it can help to build confidence and self-esteem, which is so important for young people to learn when growing up.

“It is more important than ever, that children do take time out for themselves and get involved in sport…as a way to help them escape from the pressures of life.”

Lucinda is a mum, and notices the changes in her daughter’s behaviour as a result of an active lifestyle, so she is seeing first-hand the influential impact physical activity has on children and young people.

“My daughter certainly seems to be at her happiest when she is on her scooter or her bike…”

To watch the video, click here

Sport is a universal language and on Friday 25th, our ambassador Jordan Jarrett Bryan spoke about how everyone can have a role within sport and highlighted how it does not always have to be competitive. He encouraged all young people to take part in physical activity, to strengthen their physical health but also because of the positive social impact it can have.

“I encourage all the young people to take part in sport as much as you can…to strengthen not only your physical health but your mental health as well.”

To watch the video, click here

On Saturday, if you needed some extra motivation to get moving, Rebecca Gallantree and Jade Windley had just the ticket! The theme for that day was This Girl Can and This Mum Moves. Rebecca Gallantree spoke about how she remained physically active during her pregnancy and how she is now staying active with a busy schedule and a new-born baby. Becky highlighted the importance of keeping fit and active as a new mum to help her balance all the challenges in life and to keep happy and healthy!

“I’ve started baby wearing workouts…”

To watch the video, click here

Former professional tennis player, Jade Windley was the second Mintridge guest of the day with her own special guest. Jade invited her mum to talk about the impact sport has had on both herself and her Jade and talks about why she loves physical activity for her physical well-being but also for the social benefits. They also demonstrated some great hula-hooping skills!

“both myself and my mum have used sport as a tool to help our own physical and mental wellbeing.”

To watch the video, click here

Although the weather was not quite as sunny as we would have hoped. Emma Wiggs and Hannah Diamond definitely persuaded us to get outside and why being outside and getting active is good for your mind and body.

“I’m really passionate about the skills para canoe has given me, and the impact it has had on my physical, mental and social wellbeing.”

To watch the video, click here

Hannah Diamond, knows very well about the positive impact being outdoors in the fresh air can have on your well-being.

“Getting outside can play a positive role in your life even if it’s part of a strict training regime to just getting some fresh air with some of my friends.”

To watch the video, click here

We were delighted that some of our incredible ambassadors got involved in The Great British Week of Sport and could talk about their own personal experiences and why physical activity plays a crucial part in their life, especially when coping with challenging times.

All of our ambassadors have inspirational stories and can draw on their own positive experiences of being involved in physical activity and sport. They cover topics such as resilience, adaptability, inclusivity and mental wellbeing and some of our ambassadors like Danielle Brown MBE, Evie Toombes, Asma Elbadawi and Dan Powell are just some of the role models that inspire so many young people, in schools across the country!

To book a remote or physical programme with any of our ambassadors or to find out more about The Mintridge Foundation, please visit our website https://www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk/

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The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.

Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.

The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.

To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.

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