Getting people moving towards a healthier lifestyle

Regular physical activity has been shown to be a major factor in preventing a range of serious illnesses, yet most of us still don't get enough exercise to benefit our health. Today the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland announced that application forms for Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Awards 2003 are now available.

This popular scheme has already helped thousands of people to get moving towards a healthier lifestyle. Siobhan Weir, Regional Health Promotion Manager for Physical Activity at the Health Promotion Agency, explained:
"This is an opportunity for community and voluntary groups to apply for financial support to develop new initiatives that encourage physical activity in their area. The scheme has enjoyed great success and we are delighted that it is now up and running for a fifth year. To date, around 460 groups have used the grants to improve the health of their local communities through physical activity. All sorts of activities have been put in place: some as simple as 'walking groups' and some as progressive as yoga."

Physical activity is widely accepted as being beneficial to health yet only a quarter of the population here achieves the recommended levels. The current recommendation for adults is to do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity (eg brisk walking) on most days of the week. Siobhan explained how this scheme helps more people to get active:
"Physical activity is good for both the body and the mind with experts now agreeing that it can promote positive mental wellbeing and reduce stress.Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Awards aim to make regular physical activity achievable for everyone. Applications for awards should focus on activities that can be incorporated into people's daily lives."

Collette Rice, a Scheme Coordinator for Clanmill Housing Association described how they used the grant last year:
"Many of the people our organisation helps are elderly and think they are too old to get active. We used our Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Award to challenge this perception by initiating a gentle yoga class for our tenants. They loved it and were surprised by how much better they felt from just a small amount of activity every day. Even modest sums of money from schemes like this can make a big difference."

The Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Awards scheme is funded by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety as part of the Northern Ireland Physical Activity Strategy. The Health Promotion Agency manages the scheme and awards are distributed to community groups through their local Health and Social Services Board.

Application forms for Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Awards can be obtained by contacting Carrie Crossan at the Health Promotion Agency on 028 9031 1611. Application forms must be submitted by 14 April 2003.

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Notes to editor:

1. This year the Health Promotion Agency has commissioned the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland to process and judge the applications for Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Awards.

2. The health benefits of physical activity can include:

   • reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and hypertension, osteoporosis and certain cancers;

   • prevention and management of obesity, diabetes, stress, anxiety and depression;

   • improved functional capacity, psychological wellbeing (eg self-esteem);

   • prolonged independence among older adults and prevention of falls in older people (it is estimated that 50% of all hip fractures could be avoided with regular physical activity); and

   • reduced risk of developing lower back pain.