Featured image: Kate Kent

As part of a growing movement to encourage healthier lifestyles, designer Kate Kent is on a mission to encourage active lifestyles in Greater Manchester. “My passion is building creative design solutions for better health and wellbeing, with a focus on making physical activity more accessible and increasing awareness of the benefits of physical activity,” says Kate, who is currently studying an MA in Design for Health and Wellbeing at the Manchester School of Art.

Kate’s interest in this issue led her to pitch an idea to Manchester Met Rise’s innovative 200 Year community fund initiative. The fund aimed to support students to launch community projects across Greater Manchester and make a real difference.

The initiative encourages students to develop ideas to benefit their local community, while providing funding, mentorship and support to help students turn their ideas into impactful projects that benefit the communities that sit around the University.

Kate pitched the idea for Sportbox – a project which aims to provide communities with the sports clothing and kit they need to take part in physical activity. “Access to essential sports clothing and kit is a key barrier for some communities,” Kate explains. “Through Sportbox, I want to ensure communities are equipped with the resources they need to become more active.”

Over 100 students pitched project ideas to the 200 Year Community Fund, all aimed at making a positive impact on Greater Manchester. Experiential Learning Tutor Elle Simms says: “As part of Manchester Met’s 200-year celebrations, the university invited students to pitch their ideas with access to a budget. Over the last six months, £20,000 worth of community projects have been funded by the university, all initiated by students.”

Elle explains the core question that drives the initiative: “We asked students, ‘What does community mean to you, and do you have an idea that could change or positively impact a community you are part of?’ with a real focus on Greater Manchester.”

Each student was paired with a mentor experienced in designing and delivering community-focused projects. “These mentors are crucial in helping our students develop high-quality, well-thought-through ideas,” Elle adds.

For Kate, her ambition is to encourage physical activity for wellbeing and mental health. By making sports and active lifestyles more accessible, Kate hopes to see more people embracing physical activity, leading to healthier, more active, and interconnected communities.

Kate’s idea was driven by her vision to inspire and motivate the 70-80% of Greater Manchester’s population who are not regularly active: “I want to encourage physical activity for all — whatever phase of life people are going through. I hope Sportbox will create a ripple effect across Greater Manchester and make sports more accessible.”Kate’s passion for sports and design is rooted in her professional experience. She founded KK Sportswear Design and has worked with major brands including Reebok, Calvin Klein, Pentland and JD Sports. In addition to her work with Sportbox, she is involved in other projects aimed at promoting physical activity, such as exploring solutions to encourage mid-age, menopausal women to stay active as a way to support their symptoms.

Reflecting on her research, Kate says: “My research promotes physical activity through collaborative design. By nature, I am curious about fit, form and function, born from a love of physical activity and the sense of health and wellbeing it provides.”

As Sportbox moves forward, Kate is working with local charities like GM Active to identify areas and groups that would benefit most from the initiative. She is also seeking partnerships with sportswear brands that are committed to social responsibility, hoping to secure donations of clothing and kit.

“By removing the barrier of access to sportswear, Sportbox aims to make active lifestyles more accessible, promoting healthier living and creating a more connected society,” says Kate.

The Rise programme is committed to supporting students and creating strong community ties between Manchester Met and the wider city, says Elle. “Building good community links between the university and the Greater Manchester Community is at the heart of this initiative and Manchester Met is highly enthusiastic to support more students to deliver their ideas.”

Rise has funded a wide range of student-led community projects this year, from a festival tackling period poverty to refugee education programmes, a pain clinic, a wellbeing programme for new students, and a documentary about the Moss Side community.

Elle adds: “Our students know better than us about the communities that they are from or part of. We see the wealth and value in supporting our students to build the confidence and the skills to be able to run community projects, supporting projects that will truly make a difference. We want students to bring the ideas, and we will support them to become a reality!”

To learn more about Manchester Met’s Rise programme and how to get involved, visit rise.mmu.ac.uk. Follow @ManMetRise and @kksportsdesign on Instagram.