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16 September 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Charl Devenish
Smoothie Bike challenge
The Smoothie Bike Challenge feeds the body, soul and the mind in support of mental health awareness.

Smoothie lovers at the University of the Free State (UFS) pedalled furiously to create their favourite drink. The Smoothie Bike Challenge was recently introduced to the Bloemfontein Campus community by the Division for Organisational Development and Employee Wellness.

Blending bikes and berries

Kovsies staff members were invited to pop a handful of berries and bananas into a blender attached to a specially adapted bike that uses pedal power to turn the ingredients into a refreshing drink. 

Blending physical exercise and healthy eating is one way to ensure holistic health. The division wanted to raise awareness around mental health and the effects that fitness and healthy food have on the mind. 

Wheelie good fun

“The purpose of this initiative was to involve employees in a fun way to use their bodies to make a healthy drink. Individuals of all fitness levels could participate,” said Burneline Kaars, head of the organisational development and employee wellness division.

A precursor to Mental Health Awareness month

Participants provided the energy to make the smoothie and Employee Wellness provided the ingredients but the initiative also created awareness around mental health. This comes weeks before the country officially enters Mental Health Awareness month.

According to the government: “The month of October has been declared Mental Health Awareness month with the objective of not only educating the public about mental health but to reduce the stigma and discrimination that people with mental illness are often subjected to.”

An estimated 400 million people worldwide suffer from mental or neurological disorders or experience psychosocial problems. Initiatives such as the Smoothie Bike Challenge are some of the ways in which the UFS is attempting to ensure that staff members are taken care of and do not become statistics. In the light of these numbers, it is evident that continuous efforts are necessary to tackle the issue.



News Archive

The King’s Singers: British double Grammy winners hosted by OSM
2017-01-24

 Description: The Kings Singers Tags: The Kings Singers

The King’s Singers regularly tour in Europe, North and
South America, Asia and Australasia. The group will be
performing in Bloemfontein on 14 February 2017.
Photo: Andy Staples

The King’s Singers, the acclaimed British a cappella vocal ensemble, are coming to Bloemfontein, hosted by the Odeion School of Music at the University of the Free State, for an unmissable performance.

Concertgoers from Bloemfontein and surrounding areas have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary vocal ensemble at the Dutch Reformed Church Universitas at a concert sponsored by the Arts Trust.

Named after King’s College in Cambridge, the group was formed in 1965, and for the past 48 years, their work, synonymous with the very best in vocal ensemble performance, appeals to a vast international audience.

The ensemble has performed for hundreds of thousands of people each season, and regularly tours Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australasia. Instantly recognisable for their immaculate intonation, vocal blend, diction and incisive timing, the King’s Singers are consummate entertainers.

The group’s repertoire has evolved to become one of the most diverse and compelling imaginable. They have commissioned more than 200 works, including landmark pieces from leading contemporary composers including Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Sir James MacMillan, Krzysztof Penderecki, Toru Takemitsu, Sir John Tavener, Gabriela Lena Frank and Eric Whitacre. They have also commissioned arrangements of everything from jazz standards to pop chart hits, explored medieval motets and Renaissance madrigals, and encouraged young composers to write new scores.

In addition to performing to capacity audiences and creating highly regarded and much-loved recordings, the King’s Singers share their artistry at numerous workshops and masterclasses around the world.  

Double Grammy award-winning artists, the group were honoured in 2009 for their Signum Classics release, Simple Gifts, and again in 2012 for their contribution to Eric Whitacre’s Light and Gold album. Recently voted into Gramophone Hall of Fame, rave reviews and repeated sell-out concerts confirm that the King’s Singers are one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles.

Watch videos of the The King’s Singers:
The King's Singers - Overture The Barber Of Seville
2016 Pioneer Day Concert with The King's Singers - Primary Medley
A Christmas Songbook by The King's Singers

Date: 14 February 2017
Time: 19:30
Place: Dutch Reformed Church Universitas, Bloemfontein
Cost: R295 per person | R268 per person for group bookings of 10+

Tickets for the concert are available at Computicket outlets (Checkers, Shoprite shops), at the door, or online.

For inquiries or more information, contact Ninette Pretorius at +27 51 401 2504.

 

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