The University of Southampton has become the first university in the UK to achieve Gold recognition through the American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise is Medicine On Campus (EIMOC) initiative. The recognition extends across Southampton’s UK campuses and its locations in Malaysia and Delhi.

The initiative has been co-led at Southampton by Dr Danielle Lambrick, Associate Professor in Clinical Exercise Physiology in the School of Health Sciences, and Phil Malatesta, Associate Director of Sport and Community Services.

What began as an idea proposed by Danielle in 2023 has developed into a University-wide collaboration bringing together academic faculties, Sport and Community, health and wellbeing services, the Students’ Union, and students themselves.

Exercise is Medicine On Campus is a global programme developed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Its ambition goes considerably further than encouraging people to ‘do more exercise’. It aims to change university culture so that movement is recognised as an important part of physical and mental health, with universities creating opportunities, education, and pathways that make being active easier and more inclusive. ACSM’s EIMOC programme now involves around 200 campuses worldwide.

“Exercise is Medicine On Campus is about making it easier for our students, staff, and local communities to engage in physical activity to support their physical and mental health and wellbeing.”

Dr Danielle Lambrick

Southampton submitted its evidence for recognition for the first time this year, documenting activity taking place across the University to support students, staff, and local communities. The team were thrilled to have recently been awarded Gold, which is the highest level of EIMOC recognition, and reflects not only promotion and education around physical activity, but its integration into health and referral pathways.

Southampton’s activity includes Healthy Lifestyles and weight-management support, free Active programmes, student sport and societies, staff wellbeing provision, and exercise-referral pathways. There is already a Student Exercise Referral Scheme, alongside community GP referral provision, while initiatives have also opened University facilities to members of the disabled community.

This work sits alongside the University’s Active for All 2031 strategy providing a longer-term framework for increasing physical activity and creating opportunities for people to be active.

By bringing together sport and physical activity, facilities, education, research and community engagement, Active for All and EIMOC share an ambition to make movement more accessible and embed physical activity within everyday University life, while extending the benefits of the University’s expertise and facilities into our wider communities.

For Danielle, however, the real value of the award is what it represents for our communities.

“This is much bigger than an award,” said Danielle. (pictured left)

“Exercise is Medicine On Campus is about making it easier for our students, staff, and local communities to engage in physical activity to support their physical and mental health and wellbeing.”

She added: “We want the University to be a place where movement is part of everyday life, but also a resource for the communities around us.

“To put in our first application expecting Bronze and be told that the work happening across Southampton University merits Gold recognition is something we can all be incredibly proud of.”

The Gold award provides an important platform for what comes next. Together, EIMOC and Active for All 2031 can help strengthen connections between research, education, healthcare, sport and community provision, ensuring that the University’s expertise translates into genuine opportunities for more people to move, participate, and live healthier lives.