GDST & Mintridge ELEVATE Festival 2026
GDST & Mintridge ELEVATE Festival 2026
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!
We hope that you have an amazing day today here at Sutton High School.
Elevate is a wellbeing festival to help you reconnect with your body, steady your mind, and discover what helps you feel strong from the inside out. Elevate brings together expert coaches, movement specialists, and inspiring practitioners for a full day designed with you in mind. We’ll be blending energy with calm and introduce you to movement that feels good and habits that last.
GRATITUDE JAR
While you wait for the day to begin, take a moment to start filling your school’s Gratitude Jar.
Please ask us if you have any questions at all, the Mintridge team will love to help you!
Should you need to find out where your workshop is taking place, please use this virtual map below (your school teachers will know your workshop rotations).
1. Yoga with Jess Silva - Prep Classroom
2. Tai Chi with Nicole Halliday - Sports Hall / Prep Library (Potentially move to Dance Studio)
3. Flamenco with Nuria Garcia - Sports Hall
4. Nourishment with Amelie Jochums - Food Tech Room
5. Barre with Sussanna Kable - The Charlesworth Room
6. Mat Pilates with Lizzie Davies - Prep School Hall TBC (Potentially move to Dance Studio)
7. Yoga Flow To Restore with Mia Gemmecke - The Study (Drama Studio)
8. Breathwork with Danny Cunningham - Hospitality Suite
9. Sound Healing with Sami FitzGerald - Explorers Room
10. Run Club with Olimata Taal - MUGA (TBC)
11. Cacao Ceremony with Kayla - The Lookout (Dependent on Heating Availability)
12. Staff CPD Yoga - Room 5 & 6
Introductions, Keynote Addresses & Panel Discussions will all take place in the Sports Hall.
Lunch will be served in the Dining Room.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
09:15 - Welcome Address & Introductions
09:30 - Keynote Address with Steph Elswood
10:00 - Workshop 1
11:15 - Workshop 2
12:15 - Lunch
13:00 - Zen Zone Opens
13:45 - Workshop 3
15:00 - Live Panel
16:00 - Festival Close
ZEN ZONE ACTIVITIES
Dip in and out of these Mindfulness Activities or head to the Reflection Space while you are waiting in the Sports Hall if you would like to.
GET INVOLVED!
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity that wants every young person to have a positive relationship with sport.
What Problem Are We Tackling?
In a world of superficial social media presence, increasing sedentary lifestyles, a mental health epidemic and the long reaching impact of Covid - 19, young people need to see a greater variety of sporting role models. Young people need the Mintridge Foundation more than ever.
Research commissioned by Continental Tyres, an official partner of the England Lionesses highlighted that 60% of girls aged between 11-17 believe an inspirational role model is the best way to kick start a sporting journey.
By giving people the confidence to move, they will find the confidence to shine and overcome life's challenges.
How Do We Achieve Our Mission?
The Mintridge Foundation harnesses the unique platform of sporting role models far beyond their medals.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual deliver holistic sports provision in schools, clubs and colleges across the UK for young people from all walks of life, of all abilities and physical capabilities via four strands:
1) Presentations and classroom sessions to share their unique sporting journey.
2) Coaching sessions to kickstart a healthy sporting journey or to help nurture an existing pathway.
3) To ensure the greatest legacy, some students have the opportunity to be mentored remotely by the Ambassador for a period of six months to offer continued support for their mental and physical fitness (delivered via safeguarded technology).
4) One parent / carer and staff member with each mentee receives tickets to watch their Ambassador compete and get behind-the-scenes access at a live sports fixture to showcase the power and opportunities of sport.
Each child has a unique journey. We believe that Mintridge Ambassadors help young people live well and develop mental and physical fitness superpowers. Sports stars have an incredible ability to ignite a fire within the young people they work with. Mintridge athletes, previously only seen on television, stand in front of students in person, give their time, expertise and advice. This makes the students feel special, they truly listen to the athletes in a different way to many other adults in their lives. Someone important is giving up their time for them, someone relatable.
Our Impact?
Our programmes change lives, and we are always thrilled to learn just how far-reaching and positive the outcomes can be, demonstrating the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness through participation. Equally, we have helped rebuild families and given young girls the confidence to own their own stage!
By bridging a gap and sprinkling the Mintridge magic, we are helping young people see what they can be, and that possibilities really are endless.
Young people learn life skills such as teamwork and leadership, they gain a sense of empowerment and the ability to receive constructive coaching preparing them for the workplace too.
Dual Impact
Both parties (mentor and mentee) leave our programmes feeling enriched and inspired.
The ripple effect of the programmes upon peers and the young person’s family creates an even greater positive benefit – positive repercussions are ongoing to ensure that more people are living well.
Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
