Project to improve health and wellbeing gets underway

A new project to get customers and other local residents more physically active and improve their health and wellbeing has got underway in North East Lincolnshire.

The Get Active project will see a number of Longhurst Group colleagues gain qualifications to deliver sessions including New Age Kurling, Chair Based Exercise and Tai Chi.

The project has become a reality after Housing Support Officer Brian Noble applied for a £6,500 Sport England grant following a chat with a friend who works for the Active Humber Sports Partnership.

The first taster sessions have now started, with our colleagues learning from qualified instructors how to deliver the sessions to customers.

Sessions so far have been held across the region, including at Carrington Gardens – a luxury over 55s development.

In line with our Improving Lives 2025 strategy, this will improve people’s lives by bringing them together, not only to exercise, but also to enhance their social and communication skills.

Brian said: “We have tried before to claim similar funding and not had much success. We didn’t think we would get it, but I was determined to help get more people active.

“I am very enthused about the prospects of this project and I think it can be really successful judging by the response we have had so far.

“We have a lot of customers with long term health problems who are unable to get out and do much to get their heart rate up, so this programme will be targeting them.

“We’ve been splitting the hour long sessions up into three sections, with 20 minutes for New Age Kurling, 20 minutes of Chair Based Exercise and then 20 minutes of Tai Chi. These sessions can be adapted to suit the tastes of the participants.

“Tai Chi seems very popular and we have been telling some of our customers who struggle to sleep that they can use the techniques to help them improve their general wellbeing and help them sleep better.

“The vibe so far has been great and I am continuing to work with colleagues from across the Group to try and reach as many customers as we can to help improve their health and wellbeing.”

The vibe so far has been great and I am continuing to work with colleagues from across the Group to try and reach as many customers as we can to help improve their health and wellbeing.

Brian explained that to be successful in a funding application, long term sustainable benefits to members of the local community had to be evidenced. The programme will also be available to non-Longhurst Group customers in the local area as well.

“We want to get people more active, stretching, and exercising and generally having more fun,” he said.

“I spoke with my Support Worker colleagues and some customers, who all seemed keen for such a programme and I managed to get a local company who have vast experience of delivering leisure services called Lincs Inspire on board.

“The funding is being used to pay Lincs Inspire to come and train some of our colleagues. They are demonstrating how to deliver these sessions and training us along the way so that my colleagues and I gain a formal qualification and we can then take it on.

“We aren’t generally charging any participants for this at the moment and we are confident we can make it a sustainable project in the future, providing real benefits to our customers and residents.

“In line with our Improving Lives 2025 strategy, this will improve people’s lives by bringing them together, not only to exercise, but also to enhance their social and communication skills.

“We will also hopefully see the added benefit of improved confidence, which will help to sustain healthier ways of living in the future for our customers.

Director of Community Investment, Charmaine Simei, said: “We’re delighted that Brian has been successful in his application for Sport England funding, which will help us to do even more to improve the lives of our customers and the wider community in North East Lincolnshire.

“At Longhurst Group, we’re passionate about supporting our customers with their health and wellbeing and Brian’s work is a shining example of how our colleagues go the extra mile to realise that ambition.”