Agricultural students unveil new rugby kit with support from mental health charities and Student Union funding
Students at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Gelli Aur agricultural campus are proudly sporting a brand-new rugby kit which has been funded by the college’s Student Union Participatory Budget and has been supported by three agriculturally-focussed mental health charities.
The participatory budget is an annual, formal process where students submit a bid for review and if successful, they present it to learner reps at their campus Learner Voice Conference where its success relies on student votes.
This is the first time that students at Gelli Aur have had their own professional kit to support their extra-curricular sporting activities.
Three mental health charity representatives attended an informal launch of the kit where they saw their logos on display on the shirt.
The college asked Farming Community Network (FCN), Tir Dewi and DPJ Foundation if the college could spread the word about mental health in agriculture by displaying their logos.
Through the college’s Learner Voice initiative, the need for the kit was identified from students at Gelli Aur saying they wanted to promote their agricultural identity whilst playing rugby.
The college’s Student Union participatory budget allows an allocation of funds to each of its seven campuses every year and students are encouraged to explore what would improve their campus wellbeing.
Gelli Aur’s rugby team is independent of the college’s well established rugby academy, which is based in Llanelli, but some of the players do attend training or games when they are able.
The agricultural team is coached by Philip Thomas of the college Wellbeing Team with Kayleigh Brading, Active wellbeing coordinator arranging the friendly fixtures against other Coleg Sir Gâr campuses, or local schools.
Harri Brown, an agricultural student and rugby team member at Gelli Aur campus said: “It’s perfect, it couldn’t be better.
“It represents who we are and puts Gelli Aur on the map.”
The kit was designed by agricultural student Mila Summers and includes a cow pattern design on the sleeves and shorts with black and white socks representing the campus dairy herd.
Jamie Davies, wellbeing manager at Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion said: “The college Participatory Event is now in its third year, with all seven of our campuses’ mental health and wellbeing benefiting greatly through this process, funded by our Student Union.
“It has previously provided a football kit for another campus, kitted out campus gyms with new equipment, improved wellbeing gardens, outdoor cinema equipment and a lot more.
“The link with the three charities is what makes this one extra special as they give so much to our learners in the agricultural communities and I’d like to thank them for allowing us to use their logos on the shirts. I hope this small gesture and recognition gives something back.
“I’d also like to thank Conquer Sportswear for working on Mila’s initial design and creating this incredible kit. I look forward now to seeing the team playing in it.
