😀 High Life Highland Wellness Month Blog
By Laura Hamlet, Active Schools Volunteer
Volunteering with Active Schools has been such a positive boost for my wellbeing. Thanks to support from High Life Highland’s Active Schools and funding from Coigach Community Development Company (CCDC), I recently took part in a four-day Gymnastics Activity Instructor course in Dundee.
The training, held at the McTaggart Gymnastics Centre in July, was a fabulous opportunity to step out of my normal routine, meet like-minded people, and take part in really well-structured learning.
In my early 40s, I never imagined I’d be doing something like this, but with encouragement from Ben, the Ullapool Cluster Active Schools Coordinator, I gave it a go. It turned out to be the most enjoyable and accessible training I’ve ever done — energising, confidence-building, and a lot of fun!
One of the highlights was sharing ideas with other volunteers about the clubs we run in our communities, swapping music playlists, and trying out fitness challenges together. I came away buzzing with ideas and, most importantly, with a new confidence in my coaching skills.
That confidence has already made a difference in my volunteer role with the after-school multi-sports club in Achiltibuie. Our school is small — just seven pupils — but every one of them comes along, and they love designing obstacle courses and being as active as possible.
I’d sometimes worry about whether they were being safe in their cartwheels and jumps, so Ben suggested I try introducing some gymnastics techniques.
I’ve put my new skills into practice, and using some colourful new equipment funded by CCDC, the children are having a brilliant time practising balance, rolls, cartwheels, and jumps – all to their favourite tunes blasting from the loudspeaker.
It was such a joy to see them laughing, moving, and building their skills, while also feeling my own sense of achievement and connection grow.
Volunteering with Active Schools isn’t just about supporting the children — it’s also about boosting your own wellbeing. For me, it’s been about confidence, community, and the joy of keeping active. And honestly, what better way to round off a busy Thursday?
