Abandoned bikes from the University campus are enjoying a new lease of life in rural South Africa thanks to an ongoing project led by Leeds Gryphons and local charity, the Bambisanani Partnership. Over the last four years the bikes have found their way to Mnyakanya High School in Kwa-Zulu Natal to support the charities inspirational ‘Cycle to Success’ programme. Each summer […]
Exercise Referral Instructor, Fran Andralojc, shares her top tips for managing stress and anxiety. As someone who’s had their fair share of anxieties over the years, and dealing with different levels of stress day to day, there are a few things I’ve found really helpful when dealing with these feelings, so below I share with […]
Many people are using this time to get out on their bike. Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or a complete beginner, you always need to plan your cycling route. The Bike Hub have provided some resources to help you get out and about on a bike in Leeds and beyond. Travel planning Besides Google Maps, […]
It’s essential to go back to the basics of good health during this unprecedented time — and that includes good sleep. Lucy Alderman, one of our Exercise Referral Instructors, has suggested 5 ways to improve your sleep during this time. Keep your sleeping pattern consistent It may be tempting to stay up into the early […]
Today was our second day at Grattan school working with four local primary schools. In today’s classroom lessons we taught the children Philosophy, marketing and anatomy. These subjects are not normally taught at school in the children’s age groups so it was something new for them to be introduced to. They really enjoyed the lessons […]
Today was the first day of our week at Gratton School. Joining us at Gratton were children from Holy Child School, Little Flower School and John Wesley School. The children were all taught a leadership session, a classroom lesson and a sport lesson. The day started off with the leadership lesson which was centered around […]
Today was our last day at Mnyakanya High School. A total of 29 people can now ride a bike to varying degrees, with the majority getting practice out on the road before the end of the day which was fantastic! We started off the day with our usual games and then split off into our […]
My name is Emily and I’m 18 (excited to be turning 19 here in South Africa). I study International Relations and have found seeing the rural and traditional lifestyles incredibly interesting. It’s amazing to hear stories of the students’ lives and their perceptions on life. We started the day with a dance to ‘waka waka’ […]
My name is Jessica McCarrick. I’m 20 years old and study Fashion Marketing. This is the story of our first day in South Africa and the beginning of the cycling training. With the rise of our first South African sun, the group felt the daunting task creeping slowly upon us. The group’s energy was high […]
As it’s National Student Volunteer Week our Head of Sport & Physical Activity tells us all about her exciting experiences! I first got involved in volunteering at a major sporting event from being, as they say, roped in at the last minute to a mountain bike test event run by some friends. They were short […]