Submitted by Callum O'Shea on Fri, 19/12/2025 - 10:46
The Give it a Go programme continues to be a great way for the student community of Cambridge to keep active, maintain healthy lifestyles, and make friends. A successful Michaelmas term has seen attendances increase by a massive 40% on last year!
"It is too easy to get caught up in the solitary world of studying here, and these sessions are the perfect excuse to get out of that bubble and do something for yourself. You go to bed feeling much better that day."
(Participant feedback)
What were the highlights this term?
This term just over 1,000 students across the 31 colleges participated in the programme, attending a total of 3561 times, in comparison to 639 students attending 2063 times during Michaelmas 2024, demonstrating a huge attendance increase of around 40%. The most popular sessions this term included tennis, volleyball, padel, and badminton.
The programme offered 36 sessions a week across 20 different sports, while also opening the doors to new venues to reach different student groups. New sessions have been established at the University Centre, Biomedical Campus, Murray Edwards College, and the new Mumford Pitch at Grange Road, to go along with existing venues including the University Sports Centre, Wilberforce Road Sports Ground, Fenners, Downing College, and Emmanuel College.
This term not only saw new venues, but new sports introduced including mixed lacrosse, fives, women’s tennis, men’s rugby, yoga and Pilates.
Above: Give it a Go Volleyball, Pilates, and Mixed Lacrosse in action
"The session was a weekly time for me to work out and destress physically from the intense term. Mentally it also helped me settle into Cambridge as I met some amazing people who I can call friends."
How does the programme remove barriers to sport?
Above: We asked participants to describe the programme in three words
The aim of the programme is to break down perceived barriers to physical activity and sport through providing qualified coaches and session leaders, plus the equipment required for every activity, in safe and welcoming venues at the same time every week.
"I loved getting to play with people from different colleges every single time—no set teams, just new faces and new friendships through sport. Give It a Go has been the absolute highlight of my term in Cambridge. It made the community feel so warm and supportive. I really can’t put into words how much I’ve loved it. I kept sharing this with friends and taking them to join."
What are people saying about the programme?
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive in the Michaelmas end of term survey, providing evidence of the importance of running the programme, continuing into Lent 26:
“The session was a weekly time for me to work out and destress physically from the intense term. Mentally it also helped me settle into Cambridge as I met some amazing people who I can call friends”
“I enjoyed the low-pressure but enthusiastic environment which is perfect for learning a new sport that you've wanted to for a long time. It strikes a great balance between taking the sport and sessions seriously and being welcoming and fun for beginners.”
“It's a fantastic way to make friends and meet so many interesting people outside of my usual bubble”
Above: The first Give it a Go Football session on the new Mumford Pitch at Grange Road.
Want to get involved in the programme, and try out something new next term?
Head over to the website to learn more. You can also follow us on socials via @camunirecsport to be the first to hear about new activities and events.
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If you have any questions, contact the Active Students team: