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EFL Trust Wins £0.5 Million for Active Ageing

The Trust will receive £0.5M of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Active Ageing fund to help older adults stay active.

The ‘Extra Time’ project will harness the power of football clubs in the local communities to create Extra Time Hubs.

Research shows inactivity among older adults (the over 55’s) is responsible for as many deaths as smoking. 36% of over 55’s are inactive compared to 26% of the population as a whole. Research also shows those who do the least exercise stand to benefit the most.

Starting in 2018, twelve EFL clubs will run ‘Extra Time Hubs’ . The hubs will be a regular gathering place for older people to come together to socialize and to prove that you’re never too old learn to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.


Based within the stadium and utilising the clubs facilities, the programme will create a community of like-minded people to shape what’s on offer. The activities will be peer led and could include anything from archery to zumba, bowls to walking football. Nothing is off the menu. The members can contribute to organising and running the groups and sessions, or just come along for the fun.

Mike Evans, The EFL Trust Director of Operations, comments:“With the support of Sport England’s Active Ageing fund, our programme will directly address inactivity in older adults right in the heart of UK communities.

”The power of our football club badges will bring people together in a comfortable, familiar environment and allow them to shape their future path to improved health and well-being.”

Sport England is investing £10 million of National Lottery money into 20 projects across England to reduce the number of inactive older adults in the country. The 20 funded projects will use activity to help tackle problems including poor mental health, dementia, loneliness caused by bereavement, and addiction.

Mike Diaper, Executive Director at Sport England said: “People are living longer but not necessarily in the best of health. We’re excited to be supporting these 20 partners with National Lottery funding to help get older adults get active. We’ll be sharing learnings so successful approaches can be scaled-up or replicated across the country so we can help more adults lead happier and healthier lives.”

Sport England has put tackling inactivity at the heart of its strategy ‘Towards An Active Nation’. There are roughly 5.8 million inactive people over 55 in England and the number of inactive people is growing as people are living longer.

Being active is one of the most important things people can do to maintain health and wellbeing as they age. Physically active older people have higher levels of mobility and a lower of risk of disease than those who are inactive. Ill health often means the loss of independence and is linked to social isolation and depression.

For more information on the Active Ageing fund please visit:  www.sportengland.org/funding/active-ageing-fund/

About Sport England

Sport England is a public body and invests more than £300 million National Lottery and government money each year in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport. It wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background, or level of ability, to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. That’s why a lot of its work is specifically focused on helping people who do no, or very little, physical activity and groups who are typically less active – like women, disabled people and people on lower incomes.

Sport England’s Active Lives survey November 2015 – November 2016 shows inactivity levels for age 55-64 (28% inactive), 65-74 (31% inactive) 75-84 year olds (49% inactive), 85+ (72% inactive)

Sport England’s Active Lives survey November 2015 – November 2016.

The number of people aged 60 or over is expected to pass the 20 million mark by 2030 (Office for National Statistics, 2015).

EXTRA TIME: ‘It takes years off you! I always claim I’m 29. I’m 87 and I love it.’

Shrewsbury Town in the Community’s ‘Extra Time’ programme is offering people over the age of 50 in Shrewsbury a new lease of life, and you have to look no further than participant Alan Bowers to see the impact the sessions are having on those in the community.

Alan, 69, is a season ticket holder at Shrewsbury Town, but also an active member of the Extra Time programme.

Alan has been a regular participant at the club since it started five years ago, and up until recently was also a part of the Shrewsbury Town in the Community’s walking football team.

Extra Time, is aimed at getting those over the age of 50 involved in sporting activities and socialising, with sessions run every Thursday.

It’s not just limited to football, either. Alan and co find themselves doing a range of different activities each week, and whether it’s hockey, rounders, basketball, walking football or ten pin bowling, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into.

Speaking of the programme, Alan said: ”It’s such a good group of people, and they all get on with one another.

”It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, they just get out there, get some air in their lungs and just do something a bit different.”

When asked how much he has gained since joining Extra Time, he added: ”So much. Making friends, keeping healthy, keeping fit. When you retire, you get to a point of, ‘what do I do next?’

”You can’t go to a pub every day, can you?…Well maybe you can!

”But you don’t want to do that, you want to do something different. We want to do visits, we go to the pantomime every year at Theatre Severn and we have  a trip every year.”

Joining Alan at Shrewsbury Powerleague every Thursday is Irene, 87, who has been part of Extra Time for four years.

Like Alan, Irene can’t speak highly enough of the sessions, and the group that she has become so close and friendly with.

”It’s the best club I’ve ever been to, it really is.” Irene said. ”It’s a laugh from the time you go in, to the time you go out, and everybody joins in.

”It doesn’t matter if you’re any good at it. I am no good at hitting the ball in rounders, the ball goes the wrong way!

”Everybody cares for one another, it’s great! If anybody is off colour or ill, we’ve got out phone numbers.”

For a healthy and youthful lifestyle, Irene insists Extra Time is the programme for you.

”It takes years off you! I always claim I’m 29! I’m 87 and I love it.

”The laughs you have, and the friends you make…A laugh a day makes all the difference.”

To find our more about Shrewsbury Town in the Community’s Extra Time sessions visit: https://www.shrewsburytowninthecommunity.com/activities/extra-time/

Kinder + Sport Move & Learn project shortlisted for FDF Award

The Kinder + Sport Move & Learn project, developed by EFL Trust and Ferrero, has been shortlisted for the ‘Education Initiative Award’ at the Food and Drink Federation Awards 2017.

The activity programme is designed to get children moving by encouraging dynamic play and sports amongst young people and their families, promote nutritional education and build awareness of the importance of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

As childhood obesity levels continue to rise across Britain, Ferrero recognised a responsibility to take positive action to promote nutritional education and build awareness of the importance of a balanced diet and active lifestyle amongst children.

After forming a partnership with EFL Trust in 2014, the project has expanded to reach over 54,000 children in the UK and continues to grow.

Accrington Stanley are 1 of 24 EFL clubs who run the project through their Community Trust reaching out to schools across the country.

To read more about the FDF Awards 2017 click here.

Active Choices participant set to represent England

Marek Hyde, a participant from Derby County Community Trust’s Active Choices programme has been chosen to represent his country in the upcoming Street Football World Cup.

The tournament takes place in Oslo between the 28th August – 6th September,seeing 64 teams, representing 52 countries, come together to celebrate and highlight the life changing work of the Street Football Partner Network.

Following his involvement in the Active Choices programme, Marek, aged 26, from Spondon will be one of 500 players at the competition, each with their own individual story.

Active Choices is a healthy lifestyle and behavioral change programme which helps people who have struggled with substance misuse issues. It has now helped over 500 people with drug and alcohol problems to turn their lives around, giving them the opportunity to receive one-to-one support and take part in worthwhile activities at a critical point in their recovery.

Marek joined the programme back in April 2016 following a referral from Jericho House, a residential addiction recovery project which works closely with Derby County Community Trust, supporting service users in achieving the highest quality of life and in realising their full potential.

Since joining, Marek has become fitter, more active and has stopped smoking. The support and exit routes have even allowed him to find full time employment and complete a Sports Leadership qualification in partnership with the Street Football Association, which led to the England call-up.

Following the news, Marek said:

 “I feel brilliant, it’s such an honor which I thought would never happen to me. It’s something I didn’t think would happen because it’s so unrealistic to think of playing for my country. It’s given me time to reflect on my achievements in recovery.

 “I’m really looking forward to getting out there, meeting my teammates and pulling on the shirt to represent England.”

 On the involvement of the Derby County Community Trust and the Active Choices programme he said:

“They have been there for guidance and support on my exercise and nutrition. The programme has helped me make new friends, given me the opportunity to play at professional football grounds and gain a sport leader qualification, helping me to further myself.”

Marek’s call-up comes following a long line of successes between the Active Choices programme and the Street Football Association. Over the past three years nine participants have made trips to Scotland, Chile, Portugal and Holland for the tournament.

Adam Rowley from Derby County Community Trust said:

“We are delighted for Marek. The opportunity is a reward for his engagement in the programme and the positive lifestyle changes that he has made. We have no doubts that he will do DCCT, Jericho House and his country proud throughout the tournament in August.’’

 

To find out more about Derby County Community Trust’s Active Choices programme visit – http://www.derbycountycommunitytrust.com/programmes/health/active-choices/