Roope Rantala (LYY's Chair of the Board) and Merija Timonen (Director of Teaching and Learning Services, University of Lapland).

The Wellness pass, which has been in use in Rovaniemi for three years, offers university and UAS students a variety of services to support their well-being, such as regular exercise shifts, gym services, group exercise, dance and culture. According to a survey carried out by LYY, the Wellness pass has increased the amount of physical activity among passport holders.

The University of Lapland and Lapland University of Applied Sciences provide financial support to the Student Union for the production of the Wellness pass. The university's additional annual support of €25 000 for 2024–2028 is intended to increase student well-being and secure the future of the Wellness pass.

– It is important to us that our students feel well and find meaningful things to do in Rovaniemi also outside their studies. A good balance between studies and free time promotes well-being, and that is why we want to support the Wellness pass with a bigger investment, says Antti Syväjärvi, Rector of the University of Lapland.

Continuous funding from the Lapland Universities and additional support from the University of Lapland will enable the development of the Wellness pass in the coming years. The Wellness pass incurs costs, for example due to necessary staff costs, and the cost of purchasing services that has increased significantly in recent years.

– The mission of the Wellness pass is to be a comprehensive wellbeing service from student to student. We are always developing the pass in a user-centred way and hope that more and more students will purchase and use the pass in the future. We want to keep the price of the pass affordable, and this additional support from the university is absolutely essential to that, says Roope Rantala, Chair of the Board of LYY.

– Alongside, to support and counterbalance studying, the Wellness pass will increase the amount of activities students can do together and take care of their wellbeing. Good sports opportunities and cultural services are an essential part of campus-based studying and at the same time they increase the feeling of being at home in Rovaniemi, says Merija Timonen, Director of Teaching and Learning Services at the University of Lapland.

The new period of the Wellness pass will start on the 2nd of September 2024. Read more on the LYY website.

Further information
Antti Syväjärvi, Rector, University of Lapland
antti.syvajarvi(at)ulapland.fi
Tel. +358 400 606 244

Roope Rantala, Chair of the Board, LYY
puheenjohtaja(at)lyy.fi
Tel. +358 45 137 9026