Head of Sport, Karen Creffield, awards Media, Film and Music the Commit to Get Fit team award

A record number of staff committed to getting fit and active during Sussexsport's month-long fitness and wellbeing challenge.

265 members of staff took part in Commit to Get Fit this May. The challenge, which is in its fifth year, invited staff to get more active, socialise across campus and work together to set goals and stay motivated. Results from previous years has shown that Commit to Get Fit has had a positive impact on long term fitness, with over 50% of staff involved in the challenge still doing more activity six months later. 

Sussexsport offered all participants free gold membership for the duration of the challenge so that those involved could take full advantage of the on-campus facilities and group exercise programme. Staff also made use of the existing drop-in social sport programme, which includes badminton, bouldering, volleyball, wellbeing walks and running sessions.

Commit to Get Fit month began with the popular annual boundary walk and rounded off with the boundary run. A special set of activities for the month included stand up paddleboarding, hooping, archery, mountain biking, wheelchair basketball and outdoor fitness sessions. Staff also signed up for expert talks on nutrition and back care, delivered by Sussexsport staff. And the Staff Development Unit offered a variety of 'Wellbeing Wednesday' workshops throughout the month, which focused on emotional intelligence, mindfulness and finding balance in performance and wellbeing.

Staff could register as a school or department, form a team with colleagues across campus or sign up individually. As part of the month, Sussexsport present an award to the ‘Most Inspiring Team’. This year's glory went to the School of Media, Film and Music (MFM), for their commitment, engagement and participation throughout the month. Terry Cooper, Sussexsport's Health and Fitness Development Officer, said: 

"This year the award has gone to the team that has taken part in lots of activities, gone above and beyond in engaging with the challenge, made changes as individuals and made steps to becoming more active and healthy beyond Commit to Get Fit. Congratulations Team MFM!"

Thanks to all the individuals and teams involved this year: 

• Centre for Careers and Employability
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School
• Press & Communications
• School of Psychology
• School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• School of History, Art and History Philosophy
• Sussex Drug Discovery Group
• Institute of Development Studies
• Academic Development and Quality Enhancement
• Students' Union
• School of Media, Film and Music
• School of Law, Politics and Sociology
• School of Business, Management and Economics
• Science Policy Research Unit
• Widening Participation Services
• Finance
• School of Life Sciences
• School of Education and Social Work
• Research Development
• Student Recruitment and Marketing