Craven Arms Active Towns projects need your vote

Craven Arms residents are being invited to vote for their top three projects at Tuffins Supermarket between Monday 26 September 2016 and Saturday 1 October 2016 as part of a campaign to help increase participation in physical activity by local people, particularly those less active.

Up to £30,000 can be awarded based on the project’s chosen by residents as part Shropshire’s Everybody Active Towns community fund project to help motivate people to get involved in helping everyone in their locality become more physically active. To win this funding people need to get out and vote.

The Everybody Active Craven Arms voting events will take place at Tuffins Supermarket road, on the following dates:

• Monday 26 September 11am – 1pm
• Tuesday 27 September 4pm – 7pm
• Wednesday 28 September 2pm – 4pm
• Thursday 29 September 9am – 11am
• Friday 30 September 10am – 12noon
• Saturday 1 October 12 noon to 2pm

The campaign invited residents, community groups and organisations in Craven Arms to submit their projects to help increase participation in physical activity in the town. 10 projects made it to the final voting event, and everyone young and old will have the opportunity to vote for their top three projects. Shortlisted projects submitted by the local community include:

1. Get on your bike for a walk (Shropshire Housing Group) –

Working with the housing association sheltered accommodation tenants and the wider community to exercise using tricycles.

2. Giving youth an active chance (South Shropshire Youth Forum) –

Outdoor activity days for those aged 12—18 years to develop confidence, knowledge and outdoor learning through activities.

3. Increase participation, decrease waiting (South Shropshire Gymnastics Club) –

To purchase equipment to increase places available and decrease numbers on the waiting list for children’s class places, plus new adult classes.

4. Outdoor gym equipment for Craven Arms (Craven Arms Town Council) –

To install some outdoor gym equipment and associated initial fitness sessions.

5. Onny Meadows Easy Access Trail (Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre) –

New permanent easy access trail connecting the meadows to the river at Kingfisher Corner.

6. Gymnastic Poptastic! (South Shropshire Furniture Scheme) –

Adult dance and fitness sessions at the Community Centre with childcare.

7. Stokesay School’s Outdoor Learning Project (Stokesay Primary School) –

Forest schools leader training for staff plus playground football goals, playground games marking and sports equipment for all to use.

8. Wild Play for All (Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre) –

Creation of new wild play area for children (and adults) in woodlands at the Onny Meadows.

9. Bump FITNESS, BUGGY FITNESS, MumMe FITNESS (Future Family Fitness with Sure Start and Stokesay Primary School) –

Fitness sessions with qualified instructors for during pregnancy, buggy fitness sessions and outdoor fitness classes for parents only.

10. Let’s Get Physical (Craven Arms Children’s Centre) –

Four week ‘Let’s get Physical’ programme for families with children under 5.

Lisa Bedford, community enablement officer and Everybody Active Craven Arms lead, said:

“Craven Arms Everybody Active projects all need your vote, so please come along and vote for the top three projects that you think provide value for money and will help the less people to become more active.”

Karen Calder, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health and well-being, and Chair of Shropshire’s Health and Well-being Board, added:-

“It is well documented that lack of physical activity is now a national epidemic and poses serious health risks to our local communities. Without action, the burden on health and social care will destabilise services and reduce the quality of life for individuals, their families and communities.

“The Everybody Active Towns project is a fantastic initiative that gives local communities the opportunity to work together and come up with sustainable ways to tackle physical inactivity in their community. The success of this project is very much dependent on the response of local people so I would really urge local residents to get involved and come along and take part in the voting events.”

Voting is open to people 11 years old and over who live, work or are currently being educated in

Further information about Everybody Active Craven Arms projects can be found here.

For more information about Shropshire’s Everybody Active Towns project visit http://www.healthyshropshire.co.uk/topics/physical-activity/everybody-active-towns-project/.

Further information

Physical inactivity can pose serious health risks to the individual and is now one of the key health issues in the UK, responsible for one in six deaths and costing the country an estimated £7.4 billion a year. Those who aren’t active enough risk developing a series of conditions – depression, dementia, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and more.

Everybody Active Craven Arms is part of Shropshire’s Everybody Active Towns community fund project currently being piloted in in four areas across Shropshire.  Other towns include Broseley, Whitchurch and Wem.

The community fund project was set up by Shropshire Council’s public health team to help motivate communities to come up with ideas and sustainable projects to improve physical activity within their locality.

The projects can be targeted to any or all ages across the life course, from early years to later life. Proposed projects will compete for funding through a public vote in their town.

The maximum amount available to each of the four communities is £30,000, but will be adjusted according to community response and to ensure a genuine competition can take place.  The response to this competitive process will indicate the level of successful community engagement.