Paddy Doyle aids student health

By Enda Mullen

From left, farriery access student Kate Upstone, aged 17, golf pro Steve Hutchinson, rope skippers Rachael and Beci Dale, Paddy Doyle, and National Diploma countryside students James Wadland and Jonny Wain

Balsall Common ironman Paddy Doyle has been signed up to
help Warwickshire students live healthier lives.
Students at Warwickshire College’s Moreton Morrell Centre are to follow a programme of activities to encourage healthy living with the help of the Guinness Book of Records fitness endurance champion.
Two rope skipping champions and a golf professional are also part of the team who will be working on the programme.
The Curriculum Enrichment Programme is a scheme of activities followed by all students on Wednesday afternoons, outside their normal course activities.
Julie Wykes, director of land-based studies, said: “We have designed a programme around healthy living which is part of Every Child Matters. We have never done anything in such depth before. What we are trying to do is bring in people from outside.”
Every Child Matters is a government agenda which aims to improve the well being of everyone from birth to 19.
Its aim is to ensure every young person will be healthy, stay safe, achieve economic well being, make a positive contribution and ‘enjoy and achieve.’
Paddy, whose family originally hail from Dublin, is a Solihull College lecturer and renowned martial arts and endurance record breaker and holder.
He has claimed 148 fitness endurance records, and is the Guinness Book of Records Multi Fitness Endurance Record Holder 1990-2007 as well as Guinness World Records Hall of Fame Fitness Endurance Champion 2007.
Paddy, who will be teaching self defence, said: “I think this programme is good for team building and good communication skills for the students. There’s a cross section of things there but with the self defence which I will be teaching it will give them confidence and self awareness. The subjects we will be covering will include walking at night, and how to get out of a threatening situation, besides the usual basic self defence techniques.”
Golf pro Steve Hutchinson will also be teaching his sport, and Rachael and Beci Dale will be teaching rope skipping for fitness.
The CEP activities also include first aid training, circuits/pilates, safe driving, healthy eating on a budget, fitness/skipping, sustainability and managing finance, and self defence and personal safety.
They will also do work on citizenship and participation, careers, sex, drugs and alcohol awareness, plus other options including football, coached by former Coventry City player Dave Phillips and clay pigeon shooting.