Young people who attend the Northampton Saints Foundation have been tackling the subject of hope to improve wellbeing and inject more positivity into their lives.

Two courses were delivered by the St Andrew’s REDS Recovery College to young people on Premiership Rugby’s award-winning education and employability programmes ‘Hitz’ and social inclusion programme ‘Engage’.

Created for different age groups, both aim to increase confidence and boost self-esteem for students struggling with mainstream education. Rugby’s core values are applied to improve the personal, social and life skills of the young people so might feel confident enough about returning to  education, training, apprenticeships and/or employment.

It was the first time that REDS Recovery College has delivered courses externally and feedback has been very positive.

The courses focussed on finding hope, why it is so important and how it can be used as a tool to improve wellness.

Donna Walker, the REDS Recovery College and Peer Support Manager, said: “Our focus to date has been internal, to help improve our staff and patients health and wellbeing, and support recovery. We are looking now to extend our activity to external organisations and working with the young people of the Northampton Saints Foundation was a great opportunity.

“It’s so important that we encourage young people to develop skills that help them feel hopeful and positive about life and to build confidence for the future. Our recovery-focused educational courses have been specifically designed to help students better understand mental health issues and learn self-management techniques.”

The interactive courses, created by the REDS Recovery College based at St Andrew’s Healthcare, have been designed to encourage participants to explore what hope might feel like. One of the approaches involves learning how the five senses can be used to draw hope from everyday activities and the world around us.

Craig Phillips, Employability Lead at the Northampton Saints Foundation, said: “The course gave our students an excellent chance to take the time to understand what hope is and how opportunities that come their way can be enhanced by hope. It was special to see the students reflect on their achievements and voice these, which often can be a barrier day to day. Really refreshing to see.”

One student said: “It has helped me to contemplate how I am feeling internally and has helped me think how I could feel better.”

For information about the REDS Recovery College, click here.

For information about the Northampton Saints Foundation, click here.