You can join a Touch Rugby (non-physical) session where former England Rugby International Matt will provide skills and tips. Matt is the Health and Wellbeing Ambassador for Sodexo, our university partner.

There is a strong link between regular moderate physical activity and better mental health, and as part of our University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day we are encouraging everyone – students and staff – to take better care of their wellbeing.

On Wednesday 6 March Matt Dawson MBE will visit our Avery Hill campus, where all students and staff are invited to have a go at Touch Rugby – it’s non-physical – at a session where Matt will provide skills and tips.

You only need a pair of trainers to take part!

To take part in the session, please meet at the David Fussey Sports Hall at 1.45pm, the session will run until 2.30pm.

Matt will give skills and tips during the game as well as spending time with our Masters Strength and Conditioning students and meeting staff who are completing our new Mental Health First Aid training.

Matt retired from his highly successful English Rugby Union career in 2006. During his International career he toured with the British and Irish Lions and was part of England’s winning 2003 Rugby World Cup team.

In 2004, Matt joined the long-running BBC One quiz show “A Question of Sport” as a regular team captain. He appeared in Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 and was also the first Celebrity MasterChef Champion in the same year. Matt is an honorary President of the rugby charity Wooden Spoon. Since 2010 he has worked with university partner Sodexo as their Ambassador for Health and Wellbeing.

If you can’t make it to the session on 6 March there are lots of activities across our campuses on 7 March supporting University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day so please come along and get involved.

Students have started a “sport buddy” scheme to tackle isolation and mental health issues at a university.

The University of Suffolk Students’ Union scheme gives six free sessions to those with difficulties and arranges for a volunteer to accompany them.

Co-ordinator Tiffany Evripidou said they wanted to “intervene” before mental health became a problem.

The union said its research showed attending sessions alone was a big “engagement barrier”.

“We’ve always believed in the power of activity and how it can have a positive impact on well-being,” said Ms Evripidou.

Volunteers at the Ipswich-based university will be given mental health and first aid training.  More

You can join a Touch Rugby (non-physical) session where former England Rugby International Matt will provide skills and tips. Matt is the Health and Wellbeing Ambassador for Sodexo, our university partner.  More

Five Ways to Wellbeing

“I didn’t do anything for three days. I just slept and cried.”

Just over two years ago, England women’s bowler Kate Cross looked to have the world at her feet.

She had broken record after record on her way to playing international cricket, becoming the first girl to be accepted into the Lancashire Academy at the age of 15 before becoming the first woman to play in the Central Lancashire League for Heywood in 2015.

The year before, she had become one of the first 18 women to be awarded professional contracts by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

But unbeknown to all who knew her, Cross was struggling with anxiety and depression.  More