UDA

UDA offers services which improves mental health in young people through physical fitness, trying to counter the increasing rate of anxiety and depression in children and young people. In recent years, we have seen a steady increase in two major problems within our younger generations: 1. Mental health problems are now affecting a huge 1 in 8 children between 5- and 19-years old. 2. Obesity now affects 27% of children. This is a problem which tends to affect areas with low income, with obesity figures doubling in comparison to richer areas. We run 3 types of activities, a resilience program (incorporating gymnastics, dance and fencing fitness based activities), Leadership and CPD courses (incorporating gymnastics, dance, fencing and emotional wellbeing) and lastly (termly) community projects. 1. Resilience Programme- This programme uses Dance, Gymnastics and Fencing as a theme for fitness-based activities while developing emotional resilience by teaching and promoting the use of 3 tools; Positive affirmations, mindfulness and goal setting. Our coaches are not only physical educators, but also mentors, trained to support the mental health of children and to create a safe space for them to build both confidence and skills. 2. Community projects – Our projects within the community include dance classes and fencing classes with an emphasis on developing a healthy mindset. We use motivational speeches to kick off the program and inspire our young people with open discussions. These activities bring young people together to engage on both social and physical levels while celebrating their passions together in a safe environment. We market our projects to Year 6 and Secondary school students from surrounding schools as we love to mix these age groups early on to make the transition from Primary to Secondary school much smoother and less daunting for the newcomers. 3. Developing leaders – UDA offers coaching courses in the subjects that we teach for school leavers and pre-existing sports coaches. These courses provide transferable employment skills and helps to promote the importance of developing a healthy mindset and taking care of your emotional wellbeing as a young adult. Studies have proven that physical and mental health are so closely linked, when one depreciates, so does the other and vice versa. We pair the strengthening of both together to encourage children and young people to stay in shape and learn about their mental wellbeing at the same time.