Friday 22nd November 2024

The SSS Women & Girls Coaching Project ‘Coach Like a Girl’ launched into action on Thursday with a first in-person session for the new cohort

Female student coaches from across Scotland came together on Thursday to launch Coach Like a Girl: our new Women & Girls Coaching Project.

13 students from the group of over 30 on the programme joined us at the University of Edinburgh for an introductory session. Among them were students from a wide variety of sports who had travelled from as far as Aberdeen and Dumfries.

This new initiative, supported by Scottish Cycling and Scottish Rowing, was created by SSS to bring together and develop a heavily underrepresented group in Scottish sport through a series of masterclasses set to run throughout the academic year.

While 44% of students active across tertiary education identify as female, only around over 73% of coaches are male; limiting the opportunities for women and girls to benefit from female role models in sport.

During this introductory session, the cohort discussed what they wanted to get out of the programme, their own coaching experiences, and ended by coming up with a new name for the project.

The new name, Coach Like a Girl, draws on the themes of similar campaigns and showcases the personality behind this project’s participants. We aim to unveil some new branding for the project when the group next come together in January.

Commenting on the day, SSS Inclusion and Culture Coordinator Eilidh Gibson said:

“It was a genuine privilege to launch our coaching initiative yesterday in a room with the next generation of female coaches. Their energy, insights and immediate connection made it’s very clear that these women will be the trail blazers in Scottish sport over the coming few years.

“Jo [Foster, People & Learning Coordinator] and I are excited to build on what was discussed for the rest of the programme.”

This sentiment was shared among the participants. When asked to share their ‘key nuggets’ from the day, familiar themes emerged around being part of an inspiring, powerful group of sporty women and how this programme was a motivating factor for them to go out and dive into coaching. Above all, one participant stated that they were just proud to be part of this group.

The next session for the group will take place virtually in January with more sessions planned throughout the second semester.

Photos ©: Connie Chen

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Sunday 17th November 2024

Registration is open for SSS Festive Gathering 2024, taking place at City of Glasgow College on Wednesday 4th December.

It’s time for SSS Festive Gathering! Access the Digital Programme here.

Taking place at City of Glasgow College on Wednesday 4th December, expect a packed day of learning and connecting with the SSS Network, sprinkled with some festive cheer.

We’re also lucky enough to be joined by partners Decathlon who’ll be leading an activity session for the group, supported by the College’s Active Campus Coordinator Gregor Cree.

Sign-ups are now closed, but any last requests to attend can be directed to Jo (details below).

All enquiries related to Festive Gathering can be directed to our Learning & People Coordinator Jo Foster.

The Line Up

Following morning introductions, we’ll be kicking off the day with University of St. Andrews Director of Sport Stephen Stewart who’ll be discussing the current landscape of student sport following his summer roadshow. This will include time for an audience discussion.

Fitting for our return to Glasgow, Stuart Turner from Purple Moon will be giving us the inside story of how he led Scotland’s 2026 Commonwealth Games bid, and the opportunities coming up to be involved in the event.

During the lunch break, our partners Decathlon will be running an indoor activity session for participants, supported by City of Glasgow’s Active Campus Coordinator Gregor Cree. Those not participating will also have the opportunity to enjoy some fresh air and a break.

We kick off the afternoon session with a series of breakout rooms hosted by SSS and our members. You can choose from:

Kirsten Mullen & Eve Thompson: ‘Thinking Beyond the Walls of Sports Facilities’

We’re delighted to have Kirsten and Eve from University of Stirling Sport leading a discussion on how to increase sports programme participation, with a direct link to improving student wellbeing.

Natalie Dott: ‘Building Community Partnerships’

Glasgow Clyde College’s Active Campus Coordinator Natalie will be on hand to talk about their great partnership work beyond the college, including with Partick Thistle.

Ian Lowe: ‘Making Facility Access Free’

Hear from RGU’s Head of Sport who will be discussing their initiative to make gym access free for all students at the university. He’ll talk through the programme’s impact, and whether it can be a sustainable approach for institutions moving forward.

Chris Purdie & Sean Berthelsen: SSS Comps Catch-Up

Our dynamic Comps team will have a space dedicated to bringing together fixture admins and other competitions-oriented institution staff to round up semester 1, and look ahead to 2025.

Once back in the main room, we’ll turn to Chris Gibbons – Director of Inside Inclusion – who has already been working with a number of British governing bodies and partners, including SSS. We look forward to him introducing the Moving to Inclusion Framework, and how institutions can apply it in their own settings.

In a thought-provoking finale, we’re delighted to be joined by Don McIntyre from Glasgow School of Art who will be discussing his project on reimagining student sport. This is sure to generate plenty of discussion and provides an insightful end to the day.

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Friday 15th November 2024

We’ve just welcomed our new Head of Development Jordan to SSS! Hear more from the latest recruit, including his best joke…

Scottish Student Sport are delighted to unveil Jordan Dawson as our new head of Development: Jordan Dawson.

As he comes to the end of his first week at 48 Pleasance, we caught up with our new signing to learn more about the man tasked with leading our excellent Development team through into the new year.

What most excites you about joining the SSS team?

Aside from the great team of people that I’ve met over the last few days, one of the things I’ve been most excited about is being able to combine several of my passions together in sport, students and development. Having come across SSS briefly in other roles and seeing the impact that the organisation has on its members across Scotland is something I’m particularly excited to be able to contribute to going forward.

Take us back to your student days. Where did you study and how were you involved in student sport?

Initially I graduated from Brunel University with an undergrad degree in Sports Science before moving up to Loughborough to study and MSc in Globalization and Sport followed by a PhD looking at the legacy of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on East London.

I’d been intermittently involved in student sport throughout from Wednesday afternoons to campaigning in elections for Sports Officers but it was in my last few years that I got more heavily involved with all thing’s unions and particularly the role that physical activity had on student wellbeing.

Co-founding a support and social network for PhD students, it was incredibly empowering to the see the benefit that even a walk across campus had on people’s wellbeing. It was brilliant to see the years of theory put into practice!

What have you been doing/where have you been working since those student days?

I’ve bounced around a fair bit since my student days working largely in the TE sector across student unions and universities in the UK. That included roles in advocacy, advice and campaigns, sabb support and then running the full gamut of activity at satellite student unions in London for both Loughborough and the Coventry University Group.

That included setting up sports programmes in the Olympic Park and building partnerships with local sport stakeholders to support student engagement.

I moved to Glasgow in 2019 to join the University of Glasgow working in student experience with similar responsibilities focused around wellbeing, internationalisation and student development. Those roles have all been incredibly rewarding in different ways and allowed me to see development in people throughout.

For the past few years, I have been working on high-potential talent development programmes in the Civil Service supporting their pastoral, wellbeing and development needs as they move into senior management roles across government.

What are your sporting highlights, both as a participant and fan?

Competitively, not very much recently! As a fan, (this might not endear me anywhere), my first experience of a live football match was England vs Scotland at Euro 96, sits fondly in my memories of how fantastic live sport can be than anything else. It was a thrill that continued of attending live sport of all kinds including being able to watch Leeds not just playing but doing well in the Champions League that has made the last decade much easier as a fan!

Aside from that being able to attend a couple of different events at the recent Paris 2024 Games was incredible and to see how differently the Games were hosted after my experience at London 2012.

Do you have any exciting sports plans coming up?

At the moment, I’m working back to bigger distances slowly training and rebuilding towards the 2025 London Marathon after struggling through a couple of injuries this year that derailed a few of my plans. It won’t be my first marathon but it certainly will be my last!*

*Unless I finally succeed in a ballot place for Berlin at which point I may pull the trainers back on once again…

What is your ideal holiday destination?

I’d love to see Cuba but the holiday that is being partially planned at the moment is waiting on more information coming about the Lions Women’s Team tour in 2027 so New Zealand is pretty high up on the ideal place right now.

Tell us your best joke

Why do pancakes always win at cricket? They have the best batter

Pineapple on pizza – yes or no?

An emphatic and resounding yes. And peach too… but not together.

An impressive array of answers from Jordan there, though we’re yet to see how his opinions on fruity pizzas will play out in the office.

If you want to reach out to Jordan, you can email him at: jordan@scottishstudentsport.com

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Thursday 14th November 2024

The British Student Active Wellbeing Survey is back and we need your support to encourage sign ups! Read more and access resources here.

The British Student Active Wellbeing Survey is back for 2024 and we’re calling on all SSS members to get behind the sign-up drive.

Led by BUCS and promoted by SSS in Scotland, the survey is the largest of its type in the United Kingdom; collecting data that is integral to the future shaping of student sport in our country. In its last iteration, over 9,000 students participated in the survey.

Scotland’s universities and colleges have traditionally punched above their weight in the number of responses collected and we’re hoping this year will be no exception! With hundreds of pounds worth of vouchers up for grabs, there are plenty of incentives for students to complete the survey.

Crucially, we want to hear from students not currently participating in sport or active wellbeing too. A big part of our mission is understanding why students currently aren’t engaging with activities and shaping a path towards higher participation levels across campuses.

Students have until 16th December to fill out the survey and you can find the link to share here:

British Student Active Wellbeing Survey 2024

How to encourage sign ups

We want to see another huge response from Scottish students to the survey and we need you to help us!

Whatever your role in an institution, think about how you can reach your student population to encourage survey completion. Whether you can shout about it on social media, promote the survey in your sports facilities, or even target students before the start of class, every effort is really appreciated.

Below you can find some promotional resources from BUCS which can be updated with your own logo and imagery to share online or in print.

  • Guidance document to support staff with promoting survey
  • PDF version of the questions that are being asked within the survey (Please note, some; questions are conditional and only asked if someone has answered the previous question – so students will not have to answer all questions)
  • Promotional material including social media templates and electronic adverts

Why not get creative with your promotional efforts? At our Active Health & Communications Forum last week, members came up with plenty of ingenious ideas to create some exciting social posts on the survey. Remember to tag @scotstusport and we’ll share the best.

Happy sharing!

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Tuesday 5th November 2024

Students from universities and colleges across Glasgow came together for the first ever SSS Parasport Festival, hosted by Strathclyde Sport.

25 students participated in a first of its kind Parasport Festival, held at the University of Strathclyde last week.

The event, run in collaboration with Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), and Glasgow’s colleges and universities, offered students the opportunity to try new parasports, supported by experienced disability sport coaches.

Wheelchair basketball, para canoe, indoor curling and para table tennis were all on offer on the day, allowing students to try a wide range of sports. The group of students with a disability were also joined by Sports students from City of Glasgow College who were able to learn how to deliver accessible sessions.

The afternoon of activities was widely praised from students who participated. Finlay, a student at the University of Glasgow, said “I’ve never really had the opportunity to come along and just try different para sports.

“Before this I’ve mainly just swam or done water polo so it’s been really fun seeing what other sports are out there and how I can get involved.”

Creating an environment for students with a disability to be introduced to parasport was the driver behind SSS organising this event. The current student sporting landscape features limited opportunities for students with a physical disability to participate; often making it difficult to attract new students into sport in the first place.

While we have seen some great improvements in our disability sport offering – seen through a record number of sign ups for our Boccia Festival later this month – this event allowed sports that have a para offering to put that element front and centre for interested students.

Seeing the reaction of those participating was a highlight for the event’s organiser, SSS Inclusion & Culture Coordinator Eilidh Gibson:

“I’ve loved walking around and seeing students falling in love with new sports and activities. There have been a few that have come up to me and said even after a little taster they want to get more involved. It’s moments like that which make this event so worthwhile.”

It is hoped that after this pilot festival in Glasgow we may be able to run similar events in other areas of the country. For the event to work, we need the buy-in from institutions who have the ability to reach students known to have a disability who aren’t currently engaged in student sport.

Running events like this ensures we can provide students with that accessible first step towards being able to participate in sport and activity.

If you’re a member looking to enhance your disability sport offering, or a student who wants to engage with sport on campus but doesn’t know where to start, reach out to our Inclusion & Culture Coordinator Eilidh to find out how we can help.

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Tuesday 15th October 2024

Member institutions marked World Mental Health Day with a series of events, including two Colour Runs in Edinburgh.

SSS members celebrated World Mental Health Day on 10th October with a series of events and campaigns, designed to highlight the important link between activity and mental health.

Taking a colourful approach to the day, both University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University opted to host their own Colour Runs – getting hundreds of students active in the process.

Edinburgh’s event at Peffermill Playing Fields saw runners and walkers tackle either a 2.5k or 5k route, with colour stations manned by an army of volunteers ready to shower the participants with eco-friendly paint.

Over 50 participants took to Heriot-Watt’s campus to take on the same distance with runners also enjoying masala tea, drinks and snacks from the Residence Team.

While the runs brought plenty of colour to an overcast October afternoon, they came with a more serious message attached. From data gathered at registration, it was known that 44% of participants did not meet the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

Among the wider student population, we know that a large proportion continue to not access the recommended level of physical activity during term time. The extent to which this remains an issue will hopefully become clear when the BUCS Active Wellbeing Survey is launched later this year.

Colour runs, and other events offered across Scotland, help show that there can be plenty of fun to be had while staying active. The events showcased the joy that can be gained from activity and hopefully this will encourage students to live a healthier, more physically active lifestyle at university and beyond.

To kick start your institution’s Active Health programme, view our member resources here.

Lead photo credit: Leigh Anne Turner

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Tuesday 1st October 2024

This Scottish Women & Girls in Sport Week, SSS are thrilled to unveil a new project designed to support female student coaches in Scotland.

This Scottish Women & Girls in Sport Week, Scottish Student Sport (SSS) are thrilled to unveil a new project designed to support female coaches across Scotland’s universities and colleges.

The SSS Women & Girls Coaching Project will run for the first time, bringing student coaches, and aspiring coaches, together for a series of masterclasses aimed to support a heavily underrepresented group in sport.

Developed alongside coach development experts and with the support of Governing Bodies including Scottish Rowing, this is a first of its kind project which will foster learning and collaboration across coaches from multiple sports and backgrounds.

Across Scottish tertiary education, 44% of students participating in sport identify as female. However, between 2015-20, only 27% of coaches were female. You can learn more about the need for the project, and its aims here.

Commenting, Project Leader Jo Foster said:

“We hope that this project will allow Women and Girls to not only develop tangible skills to add to their coaching repertoire, but also a safe space for personal development alongside like-minded individuals that will outlast the initial project year.”

This is a hugely exciting opportunity for female student coaches to come together for the first time. Skye Ballance, a postgraduate student at the University of Strathclyde and rowing coach, said:

“I’m really excited to meet other coaches of a similar age and in a similar position. There’s not always people you can speak to who have similar experiences so hearing from them and their strategies in other sports will be really interesting.”

This programme wouldn’t be possible without the support of Scottish Governing Bodies. Kevin Moran, Coaching Development Manager at Scottish Cycling said:

“Scottish Cycling is thrilled to partner with Scottish Student Sport and other governing bodies to deliver the new Women & Girls Coach Development initiative. Following the launch of our Scottish Cycling Women and Girls strategy, one of our key focus points is to develop and nurture ‘Role Models’ in cycling. We believe this programme will play a vital role in supporting, upskilling, and inspiring more female coaches to excel within their university and local clubs.”

Ronan Welsh, Pathways Manager at Scottish Rowing said:

“Scottish Rowing are excited to partner up with Scottish Student Sport to create development opportunities for female student coaches. Working with a national partner to tap into new networks and enhance the experience for all participants is a fantastic opportunity and I can’t wait to see how this programme develops.

“Coaches are at the core of all activity we deliver and investing to empower and diversify the next generation of female coaches is a key priority for us as well as the sector so its great to see Scottish Student Sport championing this area of development.”

How to Apply

Registration is open now for the first SSS Women & Girls Coaching Project. Students from all sports are encouraged to apply, and the project is open to those aspiring to become a coach alongside individuals already qualified.

Session dates will be finalised after sign-ups have closed, though they are expected to be run over the end of Semester 1 and start of Semester 2. There will be a mixture of in person and virtual sessions.

Students from all SSS member institutions are encouraged to apply. Questions can be fielded to Jo Foster and to apply, click below. Applications close 25th October.

Sign Up Here

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Monday 30th September 2024

The Active Campus Network currently supports 18 Coordinators working in Colleges across Scotland to deliver sport and active health.

We are delighted to confirm, alongside partners sportscotland and Colleges Scotland, that funding for the Active Campus Network has been extended through to 2027.

To mark the eighth annual Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week (September 30-October 6), First Minister, John Swinney, visited UHI Perth to meet the female leaders who are improving access to sport and physical activity as part of sportscotland’s Active Campus Network.

The Active Campus Network is a partnership between sportscotland, Scottish Student Sport and Colleges Scotland. It helps to put sport and physical activity at the centre of college life by giving students across the country the opportunity to get active, significantly benefiting their physical and mental wellbeing supported by an 18-strong team of Active Campus Co-ordinators.

During his visit the First Minister announced £1.45m of new investment to ensure that the programme will continue to deliver over the next two academic years.

Mr Swinney met students and staff at UHI Perth who are benefitting from the Active Campus programme which is delivered by an all-female leadership team.

First Minister John Swinney said:

“Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week is opportunity to celebrate the many ways that women and girls can be leaders and role models in sport and in their wider communities.

“We must continue to do all we can to break down barriers and ensure women are free to pursue their talents and achieve their ambitions. That is why the Scottish Government and our partners, fund initiatives across our communities to ensure we are building a sporting culture in which everyone has the support to achieve their ambitions.

“The Active Campus Programme has already helped thousands of women and girls to take up a sport, and I am certain that this funding will help inspire many more.”

“Together let’s celebrate all that women and girls in sport have achieved so far, and ensure we support them to be the leaders and role models that inspire success in the future.”

Data from the first year of the project has shown a significant increase in sport and physical activity across the college sector. There were over 30,000 visits from participants to more than 3,500 Active Campus sessions in 23/24. This represents a 79% increase in visits and 31% increase in sessions from baseline data at the start of the initiative.

Chair of sportscotland, Maureen Campbell, said: “We are delighted that this new investment of £1.45m of National Lottery funding will continue the excellent work of the Active Campus Network.

“Colleges across Scotland have really embraced the initiative, and the team of co-ordinators has demonstrably helped to put sport and physical activity at the centre of college life. By giving students across the country more opportunities to get active, this programme significantly benefits the physical and mental wellbeing of participants.

“As we celebrate Women and Girls in Sport Week it’s so encouraging to see strong female leaders really driving programmes like this forward, supporting their peers to be more active and helping to create a more diverse and inclusive sporting system.”

This year the campaign for Women and Girls in Sport Week focuses on leadership, celebrating the strong leaders and role models who motivate and inspire others to take part in sport and physical activity as well as remove barriers which discourage women and girls from participating.

Funded by the National Lottery, the success of the Active Campus Network is testament to the strength of the partnership between sportscotland, Scottish Student Sport and Colleges Scotland. This new investment will build on the fantastic work being carried out across the college sector to create more opportunities for sport and physical activity.

Andy Witty, Director of Strategic Policy at Colleges Scotland, also welcomed the investment in student sport: “Colleges Scotland warmly welcomes the funding announcement today which will allow the great work of Active Campus Co-Ordinators to continue.

“Today the First Minister has seen the power of the investment to date in sport at Scotland’s colleges in action. The work carried out by the 18 Active Campus Co-ordinators has been transformative, increasing the number of participants in sport at college with students taking part in an incredible 52 different sports from pickleball to cricket to rowing.

“Active Campus Co-ordinators have worked to help students become more active more often, improving physical and mental health. Colleges Scotland really welcomes the investment which looks set to bring even greater opportunities in the future.”

Speaking on the announced extension of Active Campus funding through to 2027, Scottish Student Sport Chief Operating Officer Stew Fowlie said:

“Today’s announcement by the First Minister is absolutely tremendous news for the student sport network. At a time when difficult decisions are being faced across sport, health and education it is wonderful that the role Active Campuses can play across all three policy areas has been recognised. I am delighted that through the National Lottery funds sportscotland has been able to continue supporting the hugely exciting progress of the 18 Active Campus Coordinators, who are undoubtedly contributing so positively to college life across Scotland.

“We feel very confident that today’s decision will be looked back on favourably in the years ahead as we aim to position tertiary education as an ever more important part of Scotland’s sporting system, and to enhance student life for the large and diverse college population.

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Thursday 26th September 2024

The agreement, which runs through to 2026, strengthens the relationship between Scottish Student Sport and the Scottish Handball Association.

Scottish Student Sport (SSS) and the Scottish Handball Association (SHA) are delighted to have signed a new Partnership Agreement, running through to 2026.

The agreement, announced ahead of the opening of the Scottish Student Handball season on Sunday 29th September, outlines key areas of working between SSS and SHA, designed to foster collaboration and enhance the work carried out to improve the student experience.

Detailed in the agreement are commitments to support and grow SSS activities, including through SHA representation on the Scottish Student Handball Development Group. SSS will work to ensure that the student population are an active force on the Scottish handball scene, such as through highlighting coaching and officiating opportunities.

Commenting on the agreement, Allan Stokes Development & Performance Manager at SHA said:

‘We are thrilled to again be partnership with SSS for the next 2 years. we have been delighted to have seen the growth in handball within the student sector over the last few years and we are excited to see what the next years bring, both in the growth on members and competitions within the Local leagues and within student events’

Sophie Charlton, Handball Lead at SSS, commented:

“SSS are ecstatic to renew their partnership with SHA. We’re pleased that we can continue to work towards our joint goals of increasing handball participation within the student community, collaboratively delivering our Scottish Finals event and developing student members as coaches and officials.

“It’s exciting to have two organisations work so closely and place the same emphasis on developing one of our most valuable sporting communities – our Scottish students!”

The new agreement is in play immediately. Both SSS and SHA are excited to begin the season with the first round of fixtures in the SSS Handball League this weekend.

Week 1 Fixtures

Men’s & Women’s opponents the same

University of Dundee v University of Stirling

University of Glasgow v University of Strathclyde

Heriot-Watt University v University of Edinburgh

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Wednesday 25th September 2024

We’ve opened applications to become our new Official Kit Supplier! Find out what we’re looking for, and how to submit your proposal.

Applications are open to become Scottish Student Sport’s (SSS) new Official Kit Supplier.

The Request For Proposal (RFP) has been issued to all relevant parties who may be interested in supporting SSS with supplying leisurewear and team playing kit for a number of different sports.

In a new Official Kit Supplier, we need someone who can:

  • Provide SSS with a viable one-stop option for sports kit and leisurewear
  • Promote the SSS brand through a corporate approach to National Squad kit
  • Provide choice, reliability, quality and value

The Process

Applications opened today (25th September) and interested parties have until 17:00 28th October to submit their proposals to the named contact below. From there, shortlisted suppliers may be invited to present their bid on 6th November with a final decision expected by 25th November.

If necessary, SSS may extend the above deadlines with this information communicated to all vendors. If the extension is as a result of an amendment to the RFP, then vendors that have already submitted their proposals will be allowed to submit a new, amended proposal.

SSS may request shortlisted vendors to make an oral presentation to further clarify their proposal. The oral presentation will be made over Zoom. All proposals submitted prior to the stated deadline and in compliance with the stated requirements, will be carefully considered. SSS is not obligated to accept any of these proposals.

The successful vendor will be identified in communication to all vendors directly after the selection deadline.

How to Apply

View the RFP here.

Our Logo Pack can also be downloaded here.

Proposals must be sent to Julia Stenhouse and items posted to the SSS office. Please send any kit samples in a Women’s Size 8 or 10 or 12 and a Men’s Size M or L

All enquiries, questions & submissions must be made to the following SSS contact:

Julia Stenhouse
Business Manager, SSS

3rd Floor,
48 Pleasance,
Edinburgh
EH8 9TJ
Email: julia@scottishstudentsport.com

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