EXETER COLLEGE’S efforts to ensure it is a healthy environment for its staff and students have been officially acknowledged with the awarding of Healthy FE College status.

The title has been granted to the College by the awarding body Tribal on behalf of the Department of Health, meaning the College is one of the first to have received it in the South West, and one of around 100 so far nationally.

It has been given in recognition of the following:
• Exeter College’s commitment to continuous improvement across a range of health support services for staff and students;
• Exeter College’s collaborative work with other local health support services and organisations; and
• Exeter College’s active engagement in the promotion of health and wellbeing to its staff and learners, leading to increased performance and achievement.

Upon hearing the good news, Exeter College’s Health and Wellbeing manager Nick Bridge said: “We recognise that health and wellbeing is integral to what we do, so this is great news for the College. Giving us recognition for our achievements in this area at national level, it demonstrates how seriously we take this matter and how committed we are to ensuring we provide a healthy experience for everyone who comes here.”

The announcement follows on from Exeter College’s second annual Being Healthy and Sexual Health and Guidance Week, which took place across the College campuses last month.

The 2011 programme of activities – organised by Health and Wellbeing Manager Nick Bridge and Student Welfare Officer Sammy Davies, together with the College’s nurses and members of Exeter College Students’ Union (ECSU) – were designed to encourage student involvement as part of the College’s Every Child Matters agenda.

They included everything from visits from external health organisations, tutor group picnics, fitness classes and healthy food give-aways to staff and students of all ages to dance classes for the College’s youngest attendees – the children who attend the College Nursery.