D&A Decade Challenges

As part of our D&A Decade celebrations, we kicked off the first of our Challenge Days on Thursday 30th November, with an incredible show of dedication and teamwork. Ten staff and students took on the physical challenge of cycling for 10 hours to represent each year of Dundee and Angus College’s journey.

Joined by more than 140 supporters, the cyclists collectively covered an impressive 1,563 miles, the distance from our Gardyne Campus to Rome, Italy. Their efforts raised an outstanding £1,388.22, which will go directly towards supporting the Thrive with D&A project, helping our College community navigate the cost-of-living crisis and improve wellbeing for all.

Building on the excitement of the Cyclathon, our Students’ Association (DASA) hosted a variety of fun campus-wide events to bring students and staff together.

In December, more than 70 students participated in the festive Elf on the Shelf scavenger hunt, searching for 10 hidden elf images across the campuses. Those who found them submitted correct entries for a chance to win exciting prizes.

In February, the fun continued with a Pancake Flipping Challenge, where Steven Dunbar became the champion with an impressive 300 flips, earning a D&A Decade hoodie. The celebrations didn’t stop there, for Easter, Team DASA organised an egg hunt across all three campuses, with more than 40 students participating. The lucky winner from our Kingsway Campus took home a limited-edition hoodie.

Following the excitement of the festive and seasonal challenges our Students’ Association continued the celebrations of our D&A Decade with a creative twist. Congratulations to Matthew Taylor, an Art & Design student from the Arbroath Campus, who won January's Tartan Design competition. Matthew’s beautiful design, created using the D&A colours, stood out for its creativity and has become a wonderful symbol of our College’s celebrations.

July 2024 saw the evolution of our Hedgehog Friendly Campus project into a new wider sustainability initiative, Wild D&A.  This transformation celebrated our commitment to protecting and promoting the diverse flora and fauna on our campuses and beyond. 

The naming competition for this new initiative inspired creativity and enthusiasm from across the College. Complementing this effort, DASA led a campus-wide litter pick to bring students and staff together to clean up all three of our campuses.  The collective efforts resulted in numerous bags of litter being collected, creating cleaner, greener spaces and fostering a strong sense of community.

Inspired by this initiative, Adele, our DASA Vice President has stepped up to lead a new student sustainability group for students, which will drive further environmental projects in the year ahead. With litter pickers and bags now available at each of the Help Points, the positive momentum continues as everyone in our community contributes towards a cleaner campus environment.

Continuing the theme of community and wellbeing, May and June saw College staff and students take on incredible challenges in support of the Thrive Project. The Spring Walking Challenge united 12 teams from across the College, who collectively logged an astounding 15,000 miles over six weeks. Leading the pack were ‘The Positive Potatoes’, with an impressive 3,536,795 steps, equal to 1,768 miles, who generously donated their £50 prize to Thrive. Special recognition went to ‘The S(Pace) Cadets’ for their consistent weekly progress, showcasing the dedication and enthusiasm of all participants.

As part of the ‘Step Up for Thrive’ campaign, staff took on two major fundraising feats, the Three Peaks Challenge and the Three Campus Challenge. A dedicated team from the Sports & Fitness Department scaled the highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales. In total the team climbed for 11 hours and 50 minutes, an hour faster than the recommended time.  However, significant traffic delays resulted in a total travel time of 13.5 hours, preventing the team from officially completing the challenge within 24 hours. Simultaneously, a team of staff walked 18 miles between the College’s three campuses, raising additional funds for the Thrive Project. Together, these initiatives have already surpassed their £1,000 fundraising goal, raising more than £1,500 to support staff and students through the Thrive initiative.

Building on the spirit of dedication and community, the Freaky Friday Challenge gave staff a unique opportunity to experience life as a student at Dundee & Angus College. On 13th September 2024, 13 staff members stepped into the shoes of learners for a day, navigating the challenges of budgeting, travel, and wellbeing. The experience highlighted the vital role of support services and other provisions such as free meals, food larders, and Thrive Shops in helping students succeed.

The D&A Decade celebrations and challenges have truly showcased the incredible spirit, creativity, and resilience of our College community. From physical challenges that pushed boundaries to initiatives that highlighted sustainability, wellbeing, and empathy, every event has shone a light on what makes Dundee and Angus College so special. Together, staff and students have demonstrated a shared commitment to supporting one another by fostering a sense of community and driving meaningful change.