What is the Extra Mile?
The Extra Mile is a programme designed to recognise all our student groups who go above and beyond to provide an excellent level of service, opportunity and experience for their members. Groups can be awarded either Bronze, Silver or Gold.
Each award has different tasks to be completed, as well as a set of tasks that individual groups can select based on their areas of interest and goals.
These awards demonstrate to UPSU, the University of Plymouth and the wider student community how student groups are actively making a difference in developing and engaging members. Taking part in the Extra Mile is optional for student groups, but by getting involved, student group leaders can give their members a fantastic experience and allow them to be recognised for their efforts!
Congratulations to our winners.
Bronze Award
This year, the Hockey club took part in several national fundraising campaigns, including #WearItPink to raise awareness of breast cancer and Movember, championing men's mental health. For the Movember campaign, the club collaborated with the women's team to host a charity match at Marjon, while the men's team committed to running 5km a day.
After training sessions, members were encouraged to attend Students' Union events, such as Six Nations viewings and Jam House nights to strengthen bonds within the club.
With joint training sessions between the first and second teams, the club has become more financially stable and cohesive overall.
Well done Men's Hockey!
Gold Award
The Water Polo team has continued to advance up the league table this year, boosting confidence throughout the squad while demonstrating their growing skill set. Through a range of social, competitive, and fundraising activities, including mixers, BUCS fixtures, and community events, the team has excelled both in and out of the pool. This has strengthened club spirit and increased member engagement throughout the year.
The club also hosted numerous taster sessions, encouraging new participants to try a sport they may not have previously considered. These sessions helped raise awareness and provided opportunities for students to get involved in a welcoming and fun environment.
Throughout the year, the team showed a strong commitment to charitable causes. They hosted an SU Quiz Night and an Aqua Zumba event over Easter to raise money for Nerve Tumours UK, as well as a cycle fundraiser at Trident Gym in support of Movember and a dedicated charity swim for Diabetes UK.
Canoe and Kayak fundraised for the RNLI in memory of Daniel Britten, a valued member of the club. Through a variety of events like quizzes and film nights, they raised £210 for RNLI while also increasing awareness of the charity's important work. To support fundraising efforts, members donated raffle prizes, which included handmade, branded items created from preloved materials.
The club regularly sought feedback from members after events and activities, using this input to continuously improve the sessions’ quality and ensure that they met their members' needs and expectations throughout the year.
Sustainability was also a key consideration throughout the year at their events. Members were encouraged to car share when travelling to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. In addition, the club organised volunteering initiatives like beach and river clean-ups, demonstrating a commitment to the environment, whilst the members strengthened their teamwork skills.
Pole increased their on-campus activity by running regular training, taster, and workshop sessions, allowing members to practise and train more consistently. The workshops and taster sessions delivered helped support members of all abilities develop their skills, confidence, and performance quality.
This year, Pole hosted multiple large events, including South West Pole Varsity, Movember, Winter, and Summer Showcases. These events raised awareness of pole as a sport, strengthened their community, and generated significant charitable funds whilst improving the members' performance skills. Alongside their sporting impact, they raised over £900 for various charities, including Movember, Pete’s Dragons, Man Down, First Light, Breast Cancer, and Mind.
Their Movember event in November brought together members from multiple clubs, including Biomed, Yacht, Open Water Swimming, Rugby, SwitchUP, Sailing, and Futsal, where one male member from each club bravely performed a routine for charity. They also teamed up with Femsoc for an endometriosis fundraiser and regular social sessions with Women’s Basketball and Cheerleading, showing their impact across campus.
This year, SwitchUP has continued using the Quiet Room during sessions, prioritising making their events more accessible and welcoming to everyone. They also actively utilised feedback gathered to expand their events and tailor them to meet their members' needs and expectations.
With the feedback gathered, they have also held more trips to Twist Board Game Cafe, Saturday hangouts, and tournaments, showing their willingness to improve their society and make it as inclusive as possible. The tournaments have also allowed members to hone their skills and compete with each other.
In January and February, SwitchUP made a significant charitable contribution after holding a 48 Hour Charity Stream for Children on the Edge. During this livestream, members raised an incredible £1,624 together, showing the society's dedication to causes beyond campus.
This year, members of Equestrian have volunteered with Newton Ferres Equus Pony Club, where they assisted in maintaining and running the yard. Duties the club volunteered with included grooming, tacking and turning out ponies, as well as cleaning the yard. With this experience, members have had the opportunity to expand their horse care knowledge and become more confident around the yard.
“It's been a pleasure having Plymouth Equestrian helping out around the yard, it allows us to focus on the children [in the pony club] themselves and helps their [Plymouth Equestrian] riders maintain a connection to the horses” - Katie Tannner, yard manager at Newton Ferres Equus Pony Club.
As a new initiative, committee members of Equestrian founded the HuddleUPSU campaign (@huddle_upsu on Instagram), which recognises mental health needs within sports clubs at the University of Plymouth and connects more clubs together. They attended the Wellbeing Faire and Varsity, raising awareness around the importance of mental health in sports.
In December, Equestrian were invited to an interview with BBC Radio Devon to talk about grassroots sports, the importance of riding, and how riding can reduce stress at university. The full interview with Chair and Captain Poppy Firth can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002pbt7 (timestamp: 48:13)