Over 6,000 take part in Let’s Get Telford Active
This summer, the Let's Get Telford Active campaign has swept across Telford and Wrekin’s parks, village halls, community centres and sporting facilities.
The ‘Let’s Get Telford Active’ campaign funded more than 20 community groups to hold sessions around Rugby, Tai Chi, Cricket, BMX riding, walking and running.
Developed by people in communities for people in communities, each event provided a fun and friendly way for people to develop a love for activity if they are out of practice – or even for people to get active for the first time.
During the campaign, 120 people signed up to Netball England’s Workplace Netball League, 300 took part in Telford Hornet’s Touch Rugby sessions, 250 took part in Dawley Council Holiday Activities, 350 people went to Allscott Heath Sports Club’s open day, 220 took part in the Wellington Wellbeing Picnic, 400 people took part in 5K borough runs and 130 took part in Wrekin Riders Novice sessions.
The campaign also helped to build four all weather running tracks at Lawley Primary School, Wrockwardine Wood C.E. Junior School, Lightmoor Village Primary School and Grange Park Primary School, which was opened by Paralympic gold medalist Mickey Bushell.
Liz Noakes, Director of Public Health, said: “Events across Telford and Wrekin have sprung up, giving people of different ages and backgrounds a chance to get together to find something they love and develop a habit for activity.
“We’re lucky to have so many passionate people in our communities helping to create these events, many of which will be taking place again next year.”
The campaign has concluded at a time when activity levels in Telford and Wrekin are surging - the borough is ranked top among the entire country for the increase in the number of people classed as ‘active.’
The Active Lives Adult Survey by Sport England revealed recently that the number of adults exercising for at least 150 minutes a week, has increased by 11 per cent compared to the previous 12 months.
Liz Noakes, Director of Public Health, added: “Looking after and improving the health and wellbeing of resident’s needs to be everybody’s business.
We’ll be working with volunteers and community groups even more in the future, as we can see from the Let’s Get Telford Active campaign, they play a vital role in keeping people fit and well.”
For help looking after physical and mental health search Healthy Telford or visit www.healthytelford.com for health tips and stories local to Telford and Wrekin.
A selection of photos taken from the campaign can now be found on Flickr.
