Operation Transformation UCC | Heather Steele
Looking to make a change in the New Year? Heather Steele examines a new healthy living initiative on campus
This week the UCC operation transformation programme began with eight leaders being chosen, four staff and four students. Inspired by the annual RTE programme of the same name the UCC version is being run by the UCC Health Matters programme is in partnership with the Mardyke Arena and Kylemore Services Group. KSG are providing an Operation Transformation option of healthy meals on all their menus from the middle of January for seven weeks. The leaders taking part in the programme will be given free breakfast, lunch and dinner courtesy of KSG from their new healthy eating menu. The leaders will also have their progress tracked by nutritionists with weekly weigh-ins and a full physical at the beginning and the end of the programme.The leaders of the UCC operation transformation programme for 2012 were announced on the UCC Health Matters Facebook page on Friday the 11th of January. The four staff leaders are David O' Sullivan, Margaret Murphy, Aisling Doyle and Niamh McGettrick Cronin. The four student leaders are Karen Riordan, James Keane, Sorcha Nagle and Paula Bourke. The progress of the leaders will be updated on the UCC Health Matters Facebook page, so the UCC community can follow along with the leaders.It is hoped that this will inspire UCC students and staff to become healthier also. The UCC operation transformation programme is part of the indicative’s undertaken by UCC to become a health promoting university. In December of 2012, the president of UCC Dr Michael Murphy signed an agreement with the HSE committing UCC to the journey of becoming a health promoting university.UCC Health Matters is working towards making UCC an accredited Health Promoting University by 2014. Its mission is to improve the learning and working environment for students and staff, improving the staff and student experience in UCC and positively influencing the wider community. Each of the leaders have shared their reasons for joining the programme on the health matters Facebook page.
Niamh McGettrick Cronin, one of the staff leaders, hopes to inspire a change in the habits of her fellow UCC staff. ‘I want to be a Leader who succeeds in this programme and in turn inspire my colleagues and students showing how small changes can bring about a better quality of life.’ Karen Riordan, one of the student leaders, hopes to lose weight and become fitter over the seven weeks. ‘I really hope that by the end of the seven weeks I will have lost weight and become fitter, but more importantly that I will have strategies in place to support my continued change in lifestyle. Any and all support will be much appreciated.’