Posted: 13 July 2026
The High Performance Centre (HPC) at University Campus Doncaster (UCDon) has been making a significant impact in the local community over the last few months, with students supporting a wide range of inspiring charity challenges while gaining invaluable real-world experience in sport science and rehabilitation.
Based at the Club Doncaster Sports Village, the HPC combines academic learning with hands-on practice, enabling students to apply their skills in performance testing, training, and recovery while working alongside individuals taking on extraordinary physical challenges for important causes.
Supporting extraordinary fundraising efforts
HPC and BSc (Hons) Sport, Health and Exercise Science students have played a key role in supporting a range of remarkable charity initiatives, working closely with individuals taking on physically demanding challenges for important causes.
Among them are Matt and Gareth, who are currently cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats in nine days, an ultra-endurance challenge to raise funds for The Children’s Trust. Students have supported their preparation by delivering performance testing, developing pacing strategies, and providing recovery support to help optimise their performance across the challenge.
Former Premier League referee Carl Bassindale has also benefited from HPC support as he took on the demanding challenge of completing 10km runs daily for a week alongside a triathlon in aid of Motor Neurone Disease (MND), raising over £6,000.
Similarly, Brad Ashman completed an incredible feat of running 7 Marathons in 7 Days around 7 Parks to raise £6,600 for his daughter and a children’s cancer charity. Students have worked closely with Brad throughout his training, offering performance testing and sports massage, with a charity massage event planned for June to further support his fundraising efforts.
HPC students have also been involved in supporting other inspiring endurance challenges. Personal trainer Daniel Staves is pushing physical limits by running 10km while carrying an 80kg hospital stretcher to raise funds for Barnsley Hospital. This highly demanding challenge has required careful preparation, with students supporting his conditioning, pacing, and recovery strategies to ensure he can perform safely.
Meanwhile, Teresa Hodgson raised an incredible total of £3,413 for Club Doncaster Foundation’s veterans programme Fit Forces thanks to her latest challenge. Her “Hodgson’s Hundred” endurance challenge of 100 miles in seven days was a huge task, with students working alongside her to monitor performance, manage fatigue, and support recovery, helping her maintain consistency and resilience across consecutive days of long-distance effort.
Students making a real difference
Students at the HPC have supported participants at every stage of their journey, designing tailored training plans, delivering treatment throughout the challenges, and providing post-challenge rehabilitation to aid recovery.
By working directly with these individuals, students are using them as live case studies within their coursework, applying sport science principles in real-world, high-pressure environments. This includes:
- Performance testing and physiological analysis
- Training programme design and pacing strategies
- Sports massage and recovery support
- Injury prevention and rehabilitation
Alongside supporting endurance challenges, students also led a community massage initiative, raising over £500 for Prostate United, highlighting their commitment to both professional development and community engagement.
Real experience, real impact
This hands-on involvement reflects the HPC’s commitment to combining academic study with meaningful, real-world application. Students gain industry-ready experience while making a tangible difference to individuals and causes within the community.
Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the professionalism, knowledge, and dedication demonstrated by the students throughout their challenges.
Josh Wroot, High Performance Centre Lead, said: “It’s fantastic to see our students applying their skills to support such inspiring challenges while making a genuine difference to people’s lives. These projects not only enhance their learning and professional development, but also highlight the positive impact the High Performance Centre can have within our community. We’re incredibly proud of both our students and the individuals taking on these challenges for such important causes.”
Building a stronger sporting community
The continued involvement of HPC in charity initiatives highlights its dual focus on developing future sport science professionals and supporting the wider community.
By combining performance expertise with a strong sense of social responsibility, the High Performance Centre is helping students build their careers while playing a vital role in supporting life-changing causes across Doncaster and beyond.
Photo credits: Carl Bassindale, Brad Ashman, Daniel Staves, Club Doncaster Foundation
