Ele-Vate Fundraiser

Back in March of 2023, Red Balloon of the Air students and staff held a fundraiser that encouraged movement and physical activity.

The eleven-day event challenged participants to do something active every day and raise money for Red Balloon in the process! Participants set up fundraising pages and received donations from family and friends for completing challenges of their own making. There were no rules for this fundraiser, and people could get physically active in ways that were comfortable for them. They could dance, walk, do yoga, cycle, or anything fun that got their bodies moving!

Results

In the end, around £700 was raised by the students and staff who participated. Not bad for an eleven-day event! The funds raised were put towards fun physical activities to get the body moving.

In January, five young people were able to go to the Cambridge Ice Arena for a day of ice skating! The focus was on movement and how it benefits physical and mental health. Fun was had by all, and all limbs were still intact by the end of the day!

Importance of Physical Health

Red Balloon focuses a lot on mental health and well-being, but physical health plays an important role too! The NHS says that physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy as well as reduce the risk of depression- and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Being physically active is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. Other benefits of physical health include:

Improved brain health
Strengthen bones
Reduce pain
Improve function
Control blood sugar levels
Lower risk of heart disease
Coordination
Improved muscle mass

…and much more! In a world where it’s easy to sit on your phone all day, it’s important to remember the benefits of getting moving and being active, whatever form that takes. That’s why Ele-vate started! To help our students try new things and start getting active in new and fun ways and find the joys in getting moving.