Uni teams with football club for wellbeing support

The new partnership will see the Anglia Ruskin University logo on the men's team's training shirts

A university has teamed up with a football club in a bid to improve health and wellbeing, and raise aspirations of local people.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is working with League One team Cambridge United and the Cambridge United Foundation.

The partnership will see ARU feature on all of the men's first team training wear for the next two seasons.

The club said while it already had "strong links with schools, young people, and parents" in the city, the new venture would see the university helping to highlight career and education opportunities.

The partnership will also develop opportunities for students and alumni to boost their skills and experience, whether through volunteering with the club's community foundation, or through work placements at the club, for example for those on ARU’s sports science, physiotherapy and media degree courses.

Alex Tunbridge, Cambridge United's chief executive, said: "We are excited to be partnering with ARU to offer a wider variety of opportunities not only to their existing staff, students and alumni, but to our players, staff, supporters and wider members of the community.

"As a club that is embedded within a city associated globally [with] education, this presents a further opportunity to play an active part in the education community."

Prof Roderick Watkins, the university's vice-chancellor, said: "Promoting health and wellbeing through education, research and practical activities, is one of ARU's core aims, along with raising aspirations and providing life-changing opportunities for the communities we serve.

"Working closely with Cambridge United aligns perfectly with our priorities."