Engaging university students in sport and active recreation

ngaging more students in sport and active recreation is increasingly being recognised by national organisations as a way of contributing to raising population physical activity levels by making sport a habit for life (Sport England, 2015). The expert group for health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) across Europe specifically states that "Universities, in particular, are considered important contexts for the promotion of HEPA" (EC, 2015, p.5). Engaging students in sport and active recreation has numerous benefits for universities that are increasingly being recognised by external organisations such as the European Commission (EC), highlighting the contributions higher education can make to graduate employability (EC, 2015). Similarly the sports strategy in England also recognises the importance of the Higher Education (HE) sector for achieving national ambitions through sport as well as the role of graduates in contributing to sport and employability through sports volunteering Within England, a significant investment was made for universities to bid for funds with the purpose of engaging more inactive and semi-active students in sport and active recreation, that is to encourage more of those students who were participating in less than 1 x 30 minutes once-a-week of sporting activity to do more. This investment was through the Sport England Active Universities project (2011-2014) followed by a further investment through the Sport Activation fund . This editorial highlights the sport development successes from many English universities in encouraging more students to get involved in sport, not only to benefit student health and wellbeing but, for many universities, the aim is to use sport to enhance recruitment, the overall student experience, retention and graduate employability The editorial also draws on research conducted by

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