Over-65s encouraged to get more active in Hertfordshire

More than £160,000 has been awarded by two national sports organisations for a unique project in Hertfordshire to get people over 65 more active.
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Funding from Sport England Lottery Funding, through the Make Your Move programme which is managed by Sporta, will enable five sports and leisure trusts in the county to deliver Herts Active Together .

The scheme will see Sportspace – Darcorum Sports Trust, Finesse Leisure, Hertsmere Leisure, Stevenage Leisure Limited and YMCA West and Central Herts come together to provide bespoke sports and activity sessions to encourage those over 65 to be more active and live and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The five trusts will run a programme of activities from March to December 2015 including: aqua aerobics, ballroom dancing, golf, pilates, tennis, Boccia, swimming for nervous beginners, fencing, beginners’ climbing, badminton, gym, football, indoor cycling, boxercise, Zumba, and gym-based rehabilitation classes.

In total it is hoped that the project will encourage more than 3,000 men and women aged over 65 to take up a regular activity for 30 minutes per week over 12 months.

A social element will also be a key feature of the programme, demonstrating how sport and physical activity can introduce people to new friends.

For the five trusts, news of the funding is the culmination of 12 months’ planning of their programmes and preparing a unique joint Sport England funding bid for the Herts Active Together project.

Rebecca Dukes, Sportspace sports development manager, said: “This is the first time five leisure trusts in Hertfordshire have worked together on a joint programme, so that makes the whole project very exciting and unique.

“Ultimately it is about making a difference and improving the health and well-being of local residents aged 65+. We are extremely pleased that the funding from Sporta and Sport England is going to enable us to make this possible.”

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