Category Archives: Wellbeing

Try Hip-Hop, Ballet or Boxing at the RecCentre

In addition to our popular group fitness classes, UC Rec&Sport also offer a small selection of specialty courses, where you can build new skills and new friendships over five weeks together.

Students stretching at the barre
Ballet class at the RecCentre
Specialty Courses available in Term 1

You could brush up your Ballet skills, bust out your Hip-Hop moves or get Boxing fit.  Courses run for five weeks, with one session per week. These courses are small in size, so you get really close instruction from experienced teachers. The content is tailored to the group at an introductory level, with intermediate offered if there is demand.

All courses begin the week beginning Monday 26th February 2024, finishing in the last week of term 1.  Registrations are open now, and they will fill fast!

 How to enrol
  • Visit the specialty courses pages to check the timetable to choose the course you can attend.
  • Register via the membership portal (you’ll find a link to this on those pages too)
  • On your next visit to the RecCentre, pay the course fee at our reception desk 

We aim to keep these specialty courses affordable, and at the discounted student rate of $42.50 for boxing and $55 for ballet and hip-hop, they are well below what you’ll pay elsewhere.

Ngā mihi
UC Rec&Sport | Te Ratonga Hākinakina

 

Donate blood with UC!

The University of Canterbury is teamed up with the New Zealand Blood Service to embark on a remarkable journey – the Team Red Challenge! This collaboration allows us to make a significant impact on the lives of countless individuals in need while showcasing our unwavering spirit of giving and community support.

🩸 What is the Team Red Challenge? 🩸
The Team Red Challenge is a unique initiative that encourages organisations like ours to actively participate in blood, plasma, and platelet donations. By becoming part of Team Red, our contributions will be tallied under the University of Canterbury’s name, setting us on a mission to save lives and make a difference.

🏆 How to Participate 🏆
Log in at nzblood.co.nz (or download the app and tap menu)
Click ‘My Team’
In ‘Team Name’ field, search for ‘University of Canterbury’
Click link my donations / join team!
The University of Canterbury is proud to host a Mobile Blood Drive on February 22nd, and March 5th. Be a part of this lifesaving event, where every donation can make a significant impact on someone’s life.

Even if you can’t donate on the day of, all of your past and future donations will come under the University of Canterbury.

Why Donate?
Every donation can save up to three lives.
Blood is vital for surgeries, cancer treatments, and various medical emergencies.
Your gesture of kindness can bring hope and relief to patients and their families.

The NZ Blood Service’s team of medical professionals and volunteers will be on-site to guide you through the donation process. Rest assured, the entire procedure is safe, sterile, and comfortable. Afterward, you’ll receive snacks and refreshments and a heartfelt thank-you.

To ensure the safety of both donors and recipients, please remember the following criteria:
Be in good health and feeling well on the day of donation.
Meet the minimum weight and age requirements (typically 18 years or older, though exceptions apply).
Bring a valid ID or donor card.

Encourage your friends to participate in this noble cause. Let’s unite as a community to make this blood drive a resounding success! #ucnow #ucpeople #wellbeing

How to book a class at the RecCentre

The RecCentre group fitness programme is one of the best in Christchurch (that’s what our members tell us!) which means our classes can get super busy, especially those will smaller capacity like SkillX and Spin, or our popular Pilates classes.  To help you plan your week, we have a booking system in place for all our group fitness classes. 

View of back of the instructor teaching a pump class at the UC RecCentre
Pump class at the UC RecCentre

Our system aligns with the UC Values of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga and Tiakitanga, underpinned by Utu – tika, pono and aroha.  This means doing what is right, with empathy, care, and consideration for others.          

How does that work? 

  • In practice, this means we ask that you book your space in class whenever possible.   
  • Simply open the app, go to the classes section, scroll through the timetable and hit ‘book’ on the classes you want to attend.
  • If you cannot make it, please unbook yourself no later than 30mins prior to the class start time.  That way, our RecCentre community on the waitlist have an opportunity to join the class, and a seat/spot is not wasted.  

How do I cancel my booking? 

  • Simply head into the app, find the class you booked into and hit ‘cancel booking’.  It’s as simple as that.   Takes but a few moments.

What happens if I don’t cancel in time? 

  • If you fail to cancel and don’t turn up, our app will automatically lodge a ‘strike’ against your account. 
  • If you reach two strikes in 7 days, our app will block your advanced booking privilege for the next 7 days. 
  • After 7 days, your advance booking privileges will be reinstated. 
  • You can still attend classes, but you will need to turn up and be booked in by a team member, either at reception or by the instructor, if there is space available.  

Okay, but do I have to book? 

  • It’s not essential, but it is highly recommended because we can reach capacity, especially in Term 1
  • If you prefer, you can choose to look closer to class start time and book in on your way over.

You can read all the info on the booking system on our website, including what the waitlist is and how it works.

Get your membership and app sorted today! 
If you haven’t done it yet, set up your first RecCentre membership online now, and then set up your Rec&Sport app  (remember to use your @uclive.ac.nz or @pg.canterbury.ac.nz email account or it won’t work!).  If you already have a membership from 2023, and you have re-enrolled for 2024, you won’t need to do this again.

Ngā mihi
UC Rec&Sport | Te Ratonga Hākinakina