AWRC Voices: Better Learners Better Workers – how young people in Sheffield are leading the way in challenging physical inactivity
In February 2025, the Training and Education pillar at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre hosted students from nine schools across Sheffield as part of the Better Learners, Better Workers Programme, supported by Sheffield Hallam University. Work experience student Michelle Hicken – who helped to organise the event as part of her AWRC placement – writes about the day for this month’s AWRC Voices.
The Better Learners, Better Workers programme aims to engage primary and secondary schools in South Yorkshire, supporting the development of skills and to prepare students for the world of work. Following an online guest session streamed live into all schools, the AWRC set the students a challenge – to create a digital campaign to encouraging young people to become more physically active. This challenge is at the heart of the AWRC’s work, to inspire the next generation to promote physical activity and raise awareness of the need for more research and innovations to support more people to lead an active lifestyle.
Groups of students from all nine schools presented their digital campaigns, exhibiting confidence, passion and creativity. Some of the presentations included interactive activities to encourage the audience to start being active straight away though interactive activities, dancing and group challenges, all to show how easy it is to be active. The main message throughout the day was clear: getting started can be the biggest challenge, but once you start it gets much easier and has many benefits. This event was also brilliantly supported by eight students from UTC Olympic Legacy Park and King Ecgberts, as part of their work experience.
The event highlights the desire that young people have to be active and to live in a more active world. Their schools have encouraged these students to get involved and have had positive feedback with how many students were interested to take part. A teacher from Maltby Academy stated that they had over 100 students apply to be part of the project which shows the incredible interest students have in improving lives.
The Lord Mayor, Jayne Dunn, attended the event as part of her year-long programme focusing on key themes within Sheffield, with this month’s focus on youth. Her visit highlights the importance she places on physical activity for the people of Sheffield. It is also a great recognition of the students’ efforts, with the Lord Mayor’s presence giving them a platform to voice what they feel is important. She stated that she loved that ‘there was so much energy in the room.’ The sentiment was shared by most of the organisers and teachers, and it was clear from the smiles of the students that the event had a positive impact in everyone involved.
Following the event, Emily Newton, Training and Education co-lead at the AWRC stated that ‘it is a privilege to support the BLBW programme and see the ideas of so many brilliant young people. We want South Yorkshire to become the most active county and hope the passion we have seen today continues back in their schools and communities, we need everyone to continue to be a movement champion”.
Sarah Ward the BLBW programme manager hopes the programme will help younger people integrate more easily into the work force, by supporting the development of key transferrable skill. They are bolstering confidence within the students enabling them to make a difference. The collaboration with the AWRC allows the students to see what kind of differences they can make, inspiring them to do more.
Overall, the event was an incredible opportunity for the programme, the students and the AWRC but also for the work experience students who helped to facilitate the event and run activities for the students inbetween the presentations. Everyone worked together to make this event a wonderful success and hopefully there will be many more to come as the interest that young people have is evidently there.
Read more about the Better Learners Better Workers programme