Funding from Sport England Together Fund has enabled Age UK Barrow and District to employ a dedicated physical activities co-ordinator, supporting older adults in two of the most deprived areas of Barrow to be more active.
The Physical Activity Coordinator works with older people to overcome barriers to participation and introduce them to existing sport and physical activities, with the aim of ensuring ongoing engagement in activities beyond the life of the project. The additional funding from the Together Fund has enabled the expansion of the programme and the introduction of new classes. The programme is now providing 29 sessions (22 of which run every week), with a total of 300 people attending sessions on a weekly basis.
The funding is continuing to tackle barriers to older people’s participation in sport and physical activity , such as confidence and motivation, concerns about the impact of exercise on existing health condition, fear of injury, cost, cognitive decline and isolation.
Participant John MacMillan comments ‘Age UK saved my life’. Watch the full story here.