Levels of physical inactivity in the UK have been making headlines throughout the year and as a nation we could be moving more.
Our healthcare and behaviour change team has been busy working on a number of campaigns that relate to this. It gives us the opportunity to tell inspirational stories of people who have changed their lives by becoming more active – and has inspired the theme of IC’s community donation for 2019.
So this year we’ve decided to support grassroots sports initiatives in Greater Manchester, with £2,000 going to help those who are making it their mission to get people moving.
Grassroots support for 2020
One of the organisations we’re supporting into 2020 is the Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Club, who is doing great things for its local community. Its Back Onside programme supports community health and wellbeing sessions and is set to help groups of over 40s men get active next year.
Small changes that make a difference
TheThat Counts! campaign we launched for our client GM Moving shows that moving more doesn’t have to be about big feats of endurance. There are lots of ways to get the recommended 30 minutes into your day.
I know from personal experience that finding time (and motivation!) to ‘exercise’ can be hard – but small changes can make a difference. At the beginning of 2019 I decided to swap the office lift for five flights of stairs… it felt like a hike at first, but is now part of my everyday routine and something I (usually) enjoy starting my day with!
Sport England’s latest active lives statistics show signs of inactivity levels starting to fall and it’s having a positive impact on people’s mental as well as physical health. We hope to see things step up further in 2020.
Read more about the inspiring work some of our clients are doing in the community at LifeLeisure, GreaterSport, GM Moving and That Counts!