The AWRC is Two!
This week marks two years since the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) opened its doors, and well, what a ride it has been. Despite the challenges presented by Covid-19, we are incredibly proud of the achievements of the 150 Sheffield Hallam staff who co-locate at the Centre, which is part of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park near Darnall. Staff that use the AWRC come from a wide range of academic disciplines across the University. These include health, sport science, psychology, robotics, engineering, design and environmental science. A number of staff external to Sheffield Hallam also work at the AWRC. Many of these come from our collaborating institutions, and from clinical practice, industry and the community. We all share a common vision to transform lives through innovations that help people move. To mark our second birthday, grab your trainers and let’s take a walk through some of the highlights of the past year.
Active Together – Prescribing Physical Activity to People with Cancer
In March we were delighted to join forces with Yorkshire Cancer Research and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust to develop an innovative programme exploring how a multi-modal programme (exercise, nutrition and psychological support) can help people with cancer prepare for and respond to treatment. Made possible through funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research, the ‘Active Together’ programme will enable 1000s of people with a cancer diagnosis across Sheffield to work with specialist clinicians and researchers to develop personalised pathways of care using the fantastic facilities at AWRC, including our on-site physical activity suite, which got a very Yorkshire makeover ready for the project! In time, findings from the Active Together project will be used to develop effective models to improve the lives of people with a cancer diagnosis through physical activity across Yorkshire. Over the last few months, we have welcomed on board a brilliant Active Together team and we are expecting the first patients through the door in the next few weeks.
Read more about Active Together
Follow Active Together on Twitter
AWRC Wellbeing Accelerator – Into the Second Phase
It’s been another successful year for our AWRC Wellbeing Accelerator. Through 2021, the first cohort of 28 pre-revenue and early-stage companies continued to receive support from the AWRC’s expert co-located researchers in the development of a range of innovative products and services all focused on wellbeing. Our Accelerator team worked with companies from as far afield as the USA, Norway and Hungary, as well as many from Sheffield City Region. A group of 80 mentors from programme partners such as Canon, IBM and UKRI provided support, both directly to the companies and through a series of over 30 events held as part of the programme. Our first cohort have since graduated, and in December we were pleased to launch our second Accelerator programme. If you know of a start-up working on an innovative, wellbeing-focused product or service which would benefit from a package of support including up to £20,000, mentoring and expert support, workshop and networking opportunities, you’re in luck: applications are open until 14th February.
More information on the AWRC Accelerator Programme
Summer’s Beat the Street Fun