Developing a Collaborative approach to Sport, Physical Activity and Health Provision for the Cardiff City
Region at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
What is Open Campus?
Cardiff Met Open Campus is a collaborative way of working that delivers sport, physical activity, outdoor play, and
health & wellbeing opportunities within the Cardiff City region and beyond.
Open Campus sees university staff and students work collaboratively with the community to produce opportunities for
mutual gain providing authentic learning experiences through sport, to further develop Cardiff as a world-leading
Capital City of sport, physical activity and health. We work together to create positive experiences for both
students and the community.
What makes Open Campus unique and sector-leading is the alignment of the project with the University curriculum. This
enables us to provide a range of free and paid for opportunities to partners both on and off campus, that are linked
to students' degree outcomes and academic research.
Impact
Award Winning Open Campus Programme
ENAS Award for Best
Practice (2023)
Fit For Purpose:
Levelling up Award – Successful School Years (2022). See also:
https://www.fit-for-purpose.org/recent-stories/read-opening-up-opportunity-through-sport-the-cardiff-met-way
The Cardiff Met University Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Awards - Community Engagement Award
(2022)
Work with Us
On Campus Trusted-Partners
On-campus partners provide services and opportunities to the on-campus and off-campus community. On-campus partners
deliver opportunities through student placements that are co-designed between the placement provider and Cardiff
School of Sport and Health Sciences. Through this collaboration the university can increase public health and
physical activity.
Off Campus Trusted-Partners
Off-campus partners provide services and opportunities to the off-campus community. Off-campus partners create
co-designed student placements with the support of the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences. Through
immersion into the workplace students develop the Cardiff Met EDGE (Ethical, Digital, Global and Entrepreneurial
skills), knowledge, experience, confidence and resilience. Students are exposed to authentic learning experiences
through delivery, evaluation, analysis and critique of projects. Student may also develop new ideas and initiatives
to meet partner objectives.
A co-designed approach
Through a co-designed in-module or placement-based approach Cardiff Met University can contribute to the
civic-minded delivery of one-off or annual world class sport and physical activity events on campus or in the
Cardiff Capital region. Students draw upon their intellectual capital at all stages of event planning, delivery and
evaluation bringing value to the local community, while benefitting from the authentic workplace experiences that
are vital in the development of Ethical, Digital, Global and Entrepreneurial skills.
Contact Us
If you are interested in being involved in-curriculum, through professional placements or events, contact us on:
opencampus@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
World Class Facilities
A key benefit to an Open Campus is the opportunity for people from local communities to participate in sport and
physical activity on a university Campus and in some of the finest facilities in the UK.
Student Voice
"Open Campus gives us as university students to have an opportunity to get stuck into real coaching to be
able to gain experience and learn from it. It has given me the tools to be more flexible and prepared when
planning and coming into a session. I have contributed by engaging in the sessions as much as possible to shape
my learning and give future students the best experience possible".
- Guillermo
"Open campus has benefited me as I am able to put the things I am learning in lesson into practice which has
enabled me to improve my coaching and give children value experience in different sports. I enjoy being part of
open campus as I find it gives us a place where us as coaches can improve our coaching in an active environment
with different types of coaches.
"It also gives us a chance to perform coaching in different sports rather than our natural sport. I feel
like I have helped the community as we are giving the children chances to use world class facilities with
different types of coaches who have different experiences which helps the children fall in love with sport in
different ways".
- Connor
"I believe that open campus is a great experience for children and coaches to be involved in. Open campus
has helped me to develop my confidence and skills in sport as I have learned great valuable skills. I have had
great experience in coaching kids around Cardiff and has helped me to develop my coaching experience that has
benefited me to use these experiences in my future session and in my future coaching roles.
"At Cardiff met we offer a great range of exciting new sporting opportunities and great sporting facilities
that are a great benefit for schools to come and take part in sports. Open campus in my opinion is a fun
experience for everyone involved and I highly recommend schools to get involved and bring their students for an
exciting and fun experience at Cardiff Met University".
- Jack
Open Campus: Local, Regional and National Alignment
The Cardiff Met Open Campus way of working plays an integral part to the evolving community engagement and social
responsibility strategy for the University. It is an active embodiment of our values driven approach, empowering our
staff and students to engage with our communities.
Through a successful Open Campus way of working, our communities will develop confidence that, through the creation
of trusted partnerships, will work hard to effect educational transformation, research with impact, sustainable
economic growth, social cohesion and health & wellbeing. Crucially Open Campus also enables us to work in
partnership with our students in instilling the Cardiff Met EDGE (Ethical, Digital, Global & Entrepreneurial
Skills) to help develop confidence, resilience and experiences that will prepare them for life after university and
through to employment.
There are two key pillars that underpin any Open Campus projects:
Open Campus projects must provide value to communities by increasing the quantity and quality of opportunity
to engage in sport, physical activity and health interventions.
Open Campus projects must improve the student experience through the provision of authentic learning
experiences that enhance student outcomes and increase the quality of Cardiff Met graduates.
The alignment of these two pillars is key in developing a programme that can deliver important outcomes for both
Cardiff Met and our communities. Examples of this commitment can be seen in the way of working that has been
developed in consultation with Cardiff City Council’s Education Management Team and Healthy Schools Team, ensuring
that targeted activities are offered to those most in need.
How does Open Campus work?
In Curriculum
A range of modules have been identified where opportunities for schools and community groups can be embedded into the
timetabled sessions. These sessions will all occur within the 10.00-12.00, 13.00-15.00 or 15.00-17.00 timeslots.
Sessions are delivered by Cardiff Met Students under the guidance of our academic staff and will run during the
Cardiff Met academic timetable, which runs from October-December and January-March. The activities offered will vary
across sport and health sessions.
Projects
Undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences have the option to undertake a work-based learning placement during their studies.
Our placements can range in scope from 80 to 400 hours flexibly over a 12 month period.
Students have the option to take multiple work placements over consecutive years and combine their placement with other learning opportunities such as extended projects. A wide variety of our placements will be provided through the Open Campus way of working, providing further resource to help support and develop sport and physical activity opportunities both on campus or within your school or organisation.
Signature Events
Signature events utilise in-curriculum activity and professional placements as fundamental and embedded in the development, delivery, and review of one-off or annual events.
Through deployment of resource, infrastructure, and expertise as part of a collaborative, civic minded approach to sport, exercise, physical activity, and health events, we add value to local communities and partners, whilst creating authentic learning opportunities for students.
This way of working aims to contribute to the essential requirements of event delivery, while achieving module or programme learning outcomes through the planning, delivery, and review of events that take place on campus or anywhere in the Cardiff Capital Region.
Projects, Research, and Innovation
All undergraduate and postgraduate students are required to undertake projects, research, and innovation activities within the curriculum. For example, problem-based learning as an educational approach, or research and enterprise projects in their final year of study. Students can undertake projects based upon current policies, community issues and initiatives that enable academic achievement and positively impact the community.