Posted: January 8, 2021
Students and staff from DN Colleges Group have been kept active by taking part in a 30-day sporting activity set by the AoC (Association of Colleges).
Out of 64 colleges DN Colleges Group, which includes North Lindsey College and Doncaster College, managed to take 11th place and covered 3,708 miles as a team, accumulated by either walking, running or cycling. The target was set for colleges to compete in covering the equivalent of one lap around the world (46,975 miles) and was aimed at keeping staff and students active during the second lockdown, with all activities completed locally.
The challenge was collectively completed by all colleges in just 11 days and reached an impressive 154,310 miles after just 30 days. Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge won the most mileage covered with a whopping 17,452 miles covered. DN Colleges Group Sport England Team recorded the mileage covered via the app, Strava which records evidence of all the miles covered. A national college leader-board highlighted each individual college’s effort towards the total.
Kate McDonald (Director of FE at North Lindsey College) said, “As loyal members of AOC Sport we took great pride in competing in the Around the World challenge collaboratively as DN Colleges group, the first of so many moving forward. We are thrilled with finishing in 11th place nationally however this challenge was about much more than the final competing place! So many of our fantastic staff and students took part in various ways, in fact 413 different activities were recorded and over 3,000 miles. As a group we actively promote physical activity in many, many ways and this was a great way to contribute towards a goal together.
“The AOC have put some fantastic challenges and competitions out to Colleges, inclusive to all. This competition was just what students and staff needed during lockdown #2, the benefits of any form of physical activity are often underestimated and this would have given mental health benefits to each who participated as well as physical benefits. We are looking forward to embracing and participating as a team in further challenges from the AOC that will be set in the near future.”