On Friday, 29th November 2024, educators, sports leaders, and multi-agency professionals gathered at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College in Wirral for the Youth Sport Trust Move Well Conference.
This inspiring event showcased the powerful connection between physical activity and mental wellbeing, equipping participants with practical strategies to transform the lives of young people.
The conference brought together expertise, innovation, and passion, focusing on creating inclusive environments where every young person can thrive.
It also marked the official launch of the Wirral RISE Up Programme, a trauma-informed initiative designed to empower schools and young people across the region.
A huge thank you to Dan Keefe and Kevin Byrne for organising such a brilliant conference that brought together an incredible range of expertise and enthusiasm.
The Aims of the Move Well Conference
The Move Well conference focused on:
Developing physical literacy and motor competence in young people.
Promoting functional movements that can be incorporated into daily routines.
Introducing the RISE Model (Repeaters, Inclusive Teams, Stress Busters, Energisers) for integrating physical activity into the school day.
Exploring the role of physical activity in boosting mental wellbeing.
Combining inspirational talks and practical workshops to engage participants with actionable strategies.
These focus areas provided the foundation for a day of learning, collaboration, and innovation, aimed at empowering schools and multi-agency partners to support young people effectively.
Clare Mount Specialist Sports College: A Beacon of Excellence
Located in Moreton, Wirral, Clare Mount Specialist Sports College is a secondary special school dedicated to providing outstanding education and support for children with special educational needs.
With a focus on physical activity and wellbeing, Clare Mount prepares its students both mentally and physically for learning and life.
The school’s ethos prioritises understanding pupils' aspirations and incorporating their voices into decision-making processes, ensuring every child feels valued and supported.
Since September 2024, we have proudly partnered with Clare Mount Specialist Sports College, a school that shares our values of inclusivity, student-centred education, and wellbeing.
We look forward to bringing a case study showcasing the impact of their whole school RISE Up enrichment programme, highlighting how movement and trauma-informed practices are transforming the lives of their students.
Workshops: Practical Tools for Lasting Change
The Move Well Conference featured four engaging workshops, offering attendees hands-on learning experiences:
Aquacore with George Gregan
Australian Rugby Union legend George Gregan introduced the Aquacore training tool, showcasing its ability to improve core stability and functional movements.
As a Repeater in the RISE Model, Aquacore exercises also calm the amygdala, widen the window of tolerance, and help students access the prefrontal cortex, enhancing both physical and emotional regulation.
KO8 Resistance Bands with Kieran Owen
Kieran Owen, founder of KO8, demonstrated how his brilliant functional training system can develop functional movement patterns.
In addition, these exercises serve as effective Stress Busters, providing a safe and controlled outlet for releasing frustration while building strength and emotional resilience.
Both the Aquacore training tool and KO8 bands are fantastic options for schools looking to develop their equipment provision and enhance students’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Inclusion and Well Schools with Jon White
Jon White, the fantastic Inclusion Lead at Clare Mount and representative of the Youth Sport Trust Well Schools Initiative, shared the school’s pioneering work in creating inclusive and wellbeing-focused environments through sport sanctuaries.
His workshop inspired attendees with strategies to prioritise both mental and physical health in schools.
RISE Concepts and Self-Care Toolboxes with Neil Moggan
Our founder, Neil Moggan, delivered a practical session introducing the RISE Model—Repeaters, Inclusive Teams, Stress Busters, and Energisers—and its link to movement and mental wellbeing.
Our fantastic delegates explored how to teach young people to develop a self-care toolbox, equipping them with strategies to manage stress and build resilience.
With multi-agency partners we explored how the RISE Up Programme aligns with their work, focusing on how we can all work together to reduce the pressure on downstream services with the aim of saving lives and providing timely, effective support for young people.
Introducing the Wirral RISE Up Programme
The conference marked the launch of the Wirral RISE Up Programme, an initiative developed in partnership with Wirral Virtual School, whose fantastic support has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life.
The Wirral RISE Up programme has four key aims:
Transforming Relationships: Empower educators to transform their relationships with students, boosting their wellbeing, engagement, behaviour, attendance, and progress.
Early Identification: Identify young people struggling with mental health and direct them to specialist support as early as possible.
Movement and Mental Wellbeing: Teach the link between movement and mental wellbeing, helping students understand how physical activity can enhance their mental health, their sense of belonging and how they can self-regulate.
Self-Care Strategies: Provide young people with a toolbox of self-care strategies to protect and build their mental wellbeing now and long after they have left school.
The Wirral RISE Up Programme empowers educators to create bespoke approaches to improving wellbeing and reducing anxiety, helping students build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
You can click here to see the transformational impact of similar programmes in Norfolk and Liverpool.
A Call to Action: Join the Wirral RISE Up Movement
The conference demonstrated the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing the challenges faced by young people today.
If you’re a school, organisation, or multi-agency partner on the Wirral, we invite you to join the Wirral RISE Up Programme.
Together, we can create lasting change by empowering educators and young people.
👉 Click here to add your name to the list and join the Wirral RISE Up movement!
Get involved today and be part of a brighter future for your young people.
Interested in Enhancing Student Wellbeing in Your Area?
If you're based outside the Wirral but eager to improve your students' wellbeing, we invite you to take the first steps with us.
Begin by completing our School Wellbeing Scorecard here.
This tool will help you map your school's wellbeing provisions in just 3 minutes, identifying key focus areas tailored to your setting.
Upon completion, you will receive a personalised report along with a complimentary login to experience the first two steps of our 9 Step RISE Up Teacher Training Course.
This taster course offers insights into our effective approaches to enhancing student wellbeing.
Have a brilliant week and thank you for all you do for your young people.
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