Ayrshire College project addressing inequality in the community bags top Green Gown Award
dailyrecord.co.ukA college project which looks at addressing inequality in the community has received a top award.Ayrshire College picked up a Green Gown award for its Connecting Communities initiative - a fully sustainable project which seeks to reduce poverty and improve mental and physical health.The college scooped the Benefitting Society award – which they also won in 2019 – at the UK & Ireland awards ceremony on November 30.Now they have been entered as a finalist in the International Green Gown Awards, due to take place in June 2024.Established in 2004, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges throughout the UK and Ireland.The Connecting Communities initiative, led by the Sport and Fitness department, sees Sport and Fitness students introduce programmes to improve the quality of life for those in the community.By working with children from pre-school age to hosting the Older Adult Group, the students get a full range of experience on what impacts individuals and groups in their community.In addition to offering daily community outreach, the College also hosted Ayrshire Sportsability - the largest festival of sport for people with additional support needs in the south of the country.Working with partners in local government and local employers, the college was able to remove potential barriers relating to poverty with initiatives including providing free sports kit to all students and participants of the Connecting Community programmes and free packed lunches to everyone at their holiday camps.Ayrshire College’s unique partnership with East Ayrshire Council’s Vibrant Communities was paramount in driving the project forward and making it a success.Judges
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