Prospering partnership with University of Bedfordshire extended
Blues Foundation are proud to announce an extension to the partnership formed with University of Bedfordshire in March 2021 that now sees the charity also become official partners of the BA Sports Coaching and Development course.
The University qualification has been designed to create a workforce of talented and energetic sports coaches who are ready to make a difference locally by utilising the skills developed on the course.
Becoming an official partner of the course will ensure students can gain valuable upskilling and career development opportunities with Blues Foundation by assisting on all key flagship activation – for example Holiday Programmes, Try to Change and Ability Blues – both voluntarily and potential paid-for.
From September, Blues Foundation will provide expertise through lectures and seminars at the Polhill Avenue campus, highlighting how the sports development sector operates locally, regionally and nationally; and the impact this has on communities.
Students at the University of Bedfordshire will also conduct research across all Blues Foundation work and activation, with the vision of providing critical insight about how impactful the projects are across Bedfordshire and the difference they can make to a participant’s life.
This new extension of the partnership builds on what has already gone before in the past 18 months with symbiotic results for both organisations as they continue to strive to impact on the lives of as many people as possible.
Just this Summer, University of Bedfordshire has been the sole venue for Blues Foundation’s Holiday Activity and Food projects in Bedford Borough, a key project that ensures no child goes hungry in the school holidays during a period of time where free school meals are absent.
Blues Foundation have provided coaching to the men’s and women’s first XV rugby teams, as well as contributing to wider local employer panels and networking.
Working alongside the University’s School of Sports Science & Physical Activity (SSPA) and its Institute for Sport & Physical Activity Research (ISPAR), the Try to Change project has also been held on campus and a further focus will now be put onto strategic projects and programmes within society as a whole.
Head of Blues Foundation, Tom Harwood said:
“Our partnership with University of Bedfordshire has really flourished since inception and we’re delighted that this is being extended across multiple disciplines and allows us to work collaboratively together on even more ideas.
“The opportunity to continue to benefit from the facilities on Polhill Avenue is exciting, and to have additional support of researchers and student volunteers will hopefully both support their learning and enhance the quality of our programmes.”
Head of Sport Science and Physical Activity at the University of Bedfordshire, Dr. Martyn Morris said:
“The formalising of our relationship with Bedford Blues, and the Blues Foundation in particular, creates fantastic opportunities for our students to gain real world experience alongside their studies at the University. We place a great emphasis on all of our students developing their employability profile, and it is great that the Foundation is an official partner of our new BA Sport Coaching and Development degree, allowing our students to be involved in a range of projects across Bedfordshire”.
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You can find Blues Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Alternatively, you can contact Blues Foundation Manager, Tom Harwood via email at info@bluesfoundation.org.uk with any specific questions you may have.