Health Matters Matter

10 Nov 2015

Laughter yoga, MMR & Flu vaccinations, mindfulness colouring books and an outdoor Tai Chi session will form part of a programme of over forty events and information stalls, which seeks to inform staff and students’ about the work of ‘Health Matters’ in University College Cork tomorrow.

Health Matters Day demonstrates the full spectrum of health and health related activities available to staff and students of UCC, and highlights the benefit of educating and informing those who work, study and play within the university in making positive and affirming choices in physical and mental wellbeing. 

Sylvia Curran, UCC Staff Welfare & Development Advisor and Co-coordinator of UCC Health Matters states that “The wide variety of information stands and events tomorrow, promotes the ethos of the UCC Health Matters and captures important information about staff and student wellbeing, mental health, sexual health, nutrition, alcohol and substance abuse impacts and benefits those who engage with it. The importance of the day lies in staff and students’ realising that there is a collective goal of improving their health, and utilising the available resources which are open to them. Often in the university you have staff initiatives and student initiatives completely separate to one another but Health Matters truly brings those two groups together and brings about a UCC community.”

The community spirt of Health Matters day, which operates thanks to the staff, students and external organisations who feel particularly passionate about promoting awareness and action in these areas, is captured by Martin Davoren, Epidemiology & Public Health/UCC Health Matters. Martin states that “UCC Health Matters is a true cross-University collaboration between students’ and staff. The core aim of the project is to improve the health and wellbeing of students and staff and enable them to make changes based on the resources available. UCC Health Matters day showcases the scope of health and wellbeing projects which are taking place as part of this initiative, through a mixture of fun activities, free giveaways and interacting with the UCC community.”

UCC Health Matters is a cross-university collaboration of students and staff who are working towards a healthier University environment for all through developing health promotion alliances and outreach links in the community. UCC Health Matters seeks to improve student and staff health and wellbeing, to help co-ordinate any and all health promoting events and projects on campus, so as to improve their effectiveness and impact, whilst also seeking to ensure that UCC as a place of study and work is health-enabling and health-promotion.