Edinburgh College Construction students improve performance and fitness with Festival of Football
For the 2nd year running construction students from across Edinburgh College’s different campuses have come together to take part in a Festival of Football, playing against their peers and lecturers and improving their physical and mental wellbeing.
It’s part of an initiative called Fit for Work in Construction, that came about in the summer of 2024 as a way to tackle challenging behaviour in students, help them work on their physical and mental health, and keep them focused and attentive during their studies. They’re offered 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity, built into their timetables every two weeks.
Around 100 students took part in this year’s edition, with students from across the College’s four campuses enjoying an opportunity to mingle with their peers, make new friends, and of course try and beat their lecturers out on the pitch. In the end, it was a very close final between Intro to Construction A, and Construction with ESOL, with Intro A just squeaking out a victory.
Lynne Davidson is a construction lecturer, and helped spearhead the project in the first place. She’s amazed to see how much of a success it’s become:
“Students come from all over, from different campuses, our outreach groups, it’s a right mixture and it’s amazing to see them all getting along. We didn’t realise quite how successful the tournaments would be, and how much the students would enjoy them. It’s all so good natured, and it’s a great way for them to burn off energy and also get a sense of college life, being part of something.”
Xsara Murray, the College’s Active Campus Coordinator and a fellow founder of the initiative, says it’s having a hugely positive impact on students:
“The whole purpose isn’t sport for sports sake, it’s about the wider benefits it can offer the students, the confidence they can gain from it. It helps with their attention, it helps with retention. Some of the students are as young as 15 when they start here, and it’s nerve-wracking for them coming into such a large campus, this is a great way to break that down and make them feel part of the college and just give them the confidence to go out and make connections.”
Boyd Forbes, a multi-trade construction student, says it’s something everyone on the course looks forward to:
“You get to kick a ball around and just have fun with your pals, and see the staff having fun too. It helps you socialise, you get to meet new people and make new friends. We’re not competing for the World Cup so it’s all in good spirits, it’s a great laugh. I will be putting in a few strong tackles though!”
Garry Maxwell, the Head of School for Construction, predicts the project will continue to be a success:
“From a data driven perspective, we’re seeing more students stay on the courses, we’re seeing more engagement, they’re learning and they’re looking at pathways into further success. When we first started the initiative, we didn’t realise just how quickly it would grow. Kids now come on the course, just for this. It’s important, and it’s something we want to do more of.”