Get ACTIVE: Reflecting on our 2025-26 programme
Every year in August, Get ACTIVE doesn’t deliver a single session. No yoga, surfing sessions, football, nothing!
You might think that means our team gets the chance to put their feet up after another busy year. The reality? It's quite the opposite. While our sessions take a short break, we're hard at work planning even bigger and better opportunities for the year ahead, creating more ways than ever for Swansea University students and staff to ‘Be Part of It’.
Before we look to the future, though, it's only right that we celebrate what has been an incredible year.
A Year in Numbers
Over the last 12 months, Get ACTIVE has continued to grow, introducing thousands of students to new activities, helping people make friends, improve their wellbeing and try something new.
Here's what that looked like:
- 9,316 participant attendances across our programme
- 486 hours of core on-campus activity sessions
- 332 students experienced surfing on the beautiful Gower coastline
- 72% of our walking participants were female
- 93 football sessions attended by one incredibly committed student!
These statistics are something we're incredibly proud of, but they only tell part of the story. The real success of Get ACTIVE isn't measured by numbers alone, it's measured by the communities we've built, the friendships we've helped create and the confidence we've inspired in students across the university.
Working Together
One of the highlights of the year has been strengthening our partnerships across the Students' Union.
Working alongside the Students’ Union Full-Time Officers, we delivered a range of events designed specifically for different student communities.
Together with the Societies and Services Officer, we introduced regular inter-society tournaments across both Bay and Singleton campuses, giving societies the chance to compete, socialise and meet new people.
For St David's Day, we collaborated with the Welsh Officer to celebrate Welsh culture by encouraging students to explore the incredible landscapes and beauty of Wales.
During busy assessment periods, we partnered with the Education Officer to deliver Study Aid events, providing free and accessible opportunities for students to take a break and recharge.
We also worked with the Sports Officer to give smaller sports clubs a platform to showcase what they have to offer. Students were able to try activities including windsurfing, underwater hockey, archery and many more, helping clubs attract new members while giving participants the opportunity to discover sports they may never have considered.
A Community More Than a Programme
Our collaborations extended well beyond the Students' Union.
In support of celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the student volunteering service, Discovery, alongside International Women's Day, we launched a special promotion offering 60% off six outdoor activities for females.
141 women took part, more than doubling our original goal of 60 and highlighting the demand for accessible opportunities.
Throughout the year we also made it our mission to reach students wherever they were. Whether welcoming new arrivals, attending Freshers' Fayre or bringing fun games and activities to pop-up events across both campuses, our aim has always been the same: helping students feel a sense of belonging to Swansea University from day one.
The Team Behind It All
None of this would have been possible without our fantastic team of Student Activators.
Over the course of the year, they contributed an incredible 886 hours, welcoming participants, creating inclusive environments, supporting sessions and making sure every activity ran smoothly.
At the same time, they gained valuable leadership, communication and employability skills that will benefit them long after graduation.
Their enthusiasm and dedication are at the heart of everything Get ACTIVE does.
Looking Ahead
As proud as we are of everything we've achieved, we're already focused on making next year even bigger.
Behind the scenes, we've been working closely with academic departments to deliver activities during induction fortnight that help students settle into university life.
So far, we've planned sessions with 17 different student cohorts over just two weeks. These activities are designed to break down the formalities of lecture theatres, helping students get to know their classmates in a relaxed environment and begin building a sense of belonging from the very start of their university journey.
Because university is about more than lectures, it's about finding your people.
Be Part of It
This may have been a "brief" summary of the last year, but it still only scratches the surface of everything our students, partners and staff have achieved together.
If you missed out this year, don't worry. The year ahead promises even more activities, events and opportunities to get involved, meet new people and try something different.
Keep an eye on our Instagram @getactiveswanseauni and make sure you're ready to ‘Be Part of It’.