Between 11 and 13 May, delegates from the seven partner organisations of the Mind Body Boost project gathered at the University of Stirling for the first in-person Mind Body Boost transnational meeting. The agenda was focused on the assessment of the intervention manual material (Working Package 1), a discussion surrounding the implementation and development of the MBB app (Working Package 2), and a presentation on the development of the communication channels and how they can be better utilised by the partners (Working Package 3). These workshops were supported by updates on local interventions by the individual partners and a project management update by Trinity College (Project Lead).
The delegates were welcomed by Cathy Gallagher, the Director of Sport at Stirling University and provided with a tour of the newly developed facilities to showcase the sites utilised by the team for their local MBB interventions.
The partner meeting was chaired by Michelle Tanner, Head of Sport at Trinity College and the project management report was presented by Trinity Sport’s MBB Project Coordinator. The assessment of the collected data showcased impressive results across the completed partner interventions. Over 75% of participant responses recorded positive changes in their healthy habits, with increases demonstrated across daily activity rates and the implementation of wellbeing support models in participants self-reflections.
The assessment of the manual material and the advancement of the pilot evaluation was presented by Working Package One (Technical University of Munich & National University of Galway). The original mission of the development and implementation working package group was to ensure that a deliverable, accurate, and consistent project format was achieved, ensuring that effective data collection and evaluation can take place.
The delegates of TUM and NUIG reported a successful implementation phase with four of six partners completing their interventions and the final two interventions underway. The review of the manual highlighted the need to reassess the structure of the material and adopt a core material-supplementary material model to allow for more flexibility. It also showcased the diversity of the partner organisation’s approach to implementing their own local interventions.
This was followed by a presentation from the App Development package (The University of Stirling and Universidade Europeia Lisbon) led by the University of Stirling highlighting the success and challenges of development. The app has been utilised by each local intervention as the hub for wellness resource referral, data collection and project assessment. The app had gone from strength to strength since the selection of Innovatise as the developer, even being selected for showcasing in the company’s media outputs as a true success story.
The app team provided two distinct sessions; 1. Discussing the development of the app as a tool for registration and data collection and, 2. Discussing the back end of the app and the effectiveness of its model for communication. Partner feedback was gathered and utilised to inform the next steps of app assessment.
Finally, the Communications Working Package (Its Great Out There Coalition & The University of Vilnius) presented on the success of the MBB social media channels and media events. These included the MBB Kick Off Event in January which boasted 60 attendees from 30 European organisations linked to health and wellbeing. Over 700 unique visitors to the MBB website and 26 unique authors sharing the message of Mind Body Boost across media platforms. The University of Vilnius also showcased their local communications model as the template to be utilised across the project. The MBB partners, as part of an information gathering exercise surrounding the communications guidelines have recommitted their efforts to promoting the message and values of Mind Body Boost.
Closing remarks were made by the Chair and by the University of Stirling. The next meeting will take place at the Technical University of Munich in October.
Besides the official part of the meeting the partners also made time for some sightseeing and of course physical activity.