Active Essex is leading the way with Exercise and Sport Provision across the County, with the launch of their new website and an array of Local and National Initiatives.
The Active Essex Team are supported by many volunteers and, that includes the Disability Sport Ambassadors. They as a team have achieved so much. Standing strong through the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching people across the borough and beyond. Supporting those with LTHC’s & Disabilities, to improve the level of accessible sport and exercise to those who need it most, in safe environments, at all levels whilst also developing personal skills and confidence.
Active Essex
We’ll focus on the launch of The Find Your Active Website initiative and celebrate the achievements following the publication of their four year impact report and, work through the pandemic. We’ll look through Find your Active, Health and Well-being, Children and Young People, Delivering Sport, Support, New and Events.
All supported through the 48 strong team of Essex All Together Disability Ambassadors as they forge ahead to inspire, promote, support and, share their own stories to help others gain healthier lifestyles through targeted programmes.
Strategy For Essex
Active Essex is a forward thinking, intuitive, innovative team with huge ambitions for the future of the health and well being of those in Essex. They comment that;
‘As of June 2021, there were over 1.6 million people living in Greater Essex and 901,000 are active adults who participate in over 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Together, we want to increase this number, unite in one direction and over the next 10 years, create an active Essex to improve everyone’s health and wellbeing’.(https://www.activeessex.org/about-us/our-strategy/)
In order to reach this ambitious target there are many initiatives up and running and new ones joining all the time. One of the great ways that they are pulling this together is through the new Active Essex Website. That is where we will focus. However, you can read the full strategy here. It’s not just exercise either, it’s all round health, well being and lifestyle support.
New Active Essex Website & Programme Opportunities
There are far too many great features to this website to talk about them all so here we discuss our top 5 and then you can explore the rest for yourself from the Active Essex Homepage!
Activity Finder Activity Finder is quite simply that but with a few different options available. The aim of this is to;
‘Shine a light on all of the different ways and opportunities to get moving around Essex, Southend and Thurrock. You may need support or encouragement to get active, which is why Find Your Active is encouraging every community to have an ambassador to champion movement and help you find the activity that is right for you’.https://www.activeessex.org/find-your-active/
The Monthly Newsletters called The Pulse are always brimming with new ideas, success stories, opportunities and statistical data on progress being made towards strategic development plans. Sign up here. You have two options. One is aimed at Residents and the other at Businesses or you can download directly from the website.
Support For Children & Young People through Activate provides some fantastic resources. Whilst those young people in Essex have been exceptionally lucky to have face to face activities throughout the summer holidays there are also other resources available. This inventive section includes a Bucket List Summer Activity poster aimed at those who are 11+ to give them some summer activity ideas to support their mental health and well being in general. Supporting Young People booklets can be downloaded, with two options, KS1 and KS2. Use these anytime and you don’t need to be in Essex to get them either.
Active Essex Youtube Channel.Throughout the pandemic weekly timetables of activity were posted by the team.These are still all available and there are also new additions to the programme. Keep an eye out for new things on their Facebook and Twitter sites. Just search the Active Essex YouTube Site. This Gentle Exercise Playlist has 82 videos! That’s just one of many! You can find family friendly sessions, high impact, dance, kettle bell and mindfulness amongst the varied and contrasting videos. All delivered by highly trained and Council verified instructors/coaches and has nearly 2million subscribers!
Essex Pedal Power is a new and exciting programme being developed within certain areas of Tendring (Part of Essex) in order to make cycling accessible for people who are unable to afford their own bikes. This is a first for Essex as they aim to distribute 1,300 bikes in phases throughout 2021-2023. Alongside this training to aid safe riding and basic maintenance. Bikes are loaned for a year and fitted with GPS tracking. If used properly over the year the bike is then your own! If that wasn’t enough the next step will be to create new community cycling clubs, before rolling it out across the whole of Essex. You can read more about The The Pedal Power Project itself, watch a video and find all the details you need in order to apply if you are eligible.
AllTogether Active Essex Disability Sport Ambassadors
The County has a vast array of ambassadors on different programmes, but here we focus on those working to support people with LTHC’s and/or disabilities to access sport and exercise, knocking down barriers to participation. Across the borough 48 Disability Sport Ambassadors are encouraged to inspire, promote, deliver and support those with LTHC’s and/or disabilities. Sharing their own experiences and journeys. During the pandemic they stepped up their online presence to continue their work, through the various social media platforms available, resulting in an incredible 378,000 people being reached and, supported by appropriate programmes and activities on offer.
Top 5 Lockdown Achievements
1. Over 1,000 people were directly supported by The Ambassadors through sessions delivered across the Borough and through a variety of inclusive sporting activities.
2. Samantha Holmes gave the borough it’s first Running Mayor!
‘Mayors are being tasked with encouraging running as an alternative mode of transport to help reduce air pollution, benefitting not only the person running but those around them in their community. Running Mayors will also be there to help and support others on their running journey, in a bid to create a safe and welcoming environment for those who may feel daunted by the prospect’.~(https://www.activeessex.org/news-events/blog/running-mayor-samantha-holmes/)
You can learn more by reading Holmes Running Blog and Ambassador Profile. Surprised at her achievement. Great for local runners/want to be runners!
3. Many of the team undertook the Superheroes Challenge bringing together a group of ambassadors to become superheroes in a virtual challenge exercise programme. With Captain Billy Mansell and various sidekicks the team wheeled, pushed, rolled, stepped and cycled their way through the month, charting their successes online and, supported by others through social media promotion, blog writing and, a closed group forum. This programme puts the disabled person at the heart of the challenge, providing both home based and mass participation events that are totally accessible. You can read the full story of the teams Superheroes Challenge on the Time To Heal Website. Visit Superheroes for full details of future events and challenges.
4. Various members took on fundraising challenges to help keep programmes and clubs active whilst also supporting The Active Essex Foundation Funds. This included Daniel Adams walking 221.37 miles to raise in excess of £1000 to support the development of Disability Bowls England. Joining him Sasha Judge hit an impressive total of £640 for Southend Soccability Football Club.
5. Kierran Pearce and Connell Scholar hit the air waves producing Multi Schools council podcasts, whilst the Facebook and twitter pages were lit up by video tips From Donna Robinson who is highly involved in the Sport For Confidence programme.
If these incredible people have inspired you then you can read profiles on the All Together Ambassadors page. You’ll find lots of different specialisms, sporting activities, tips and ideas to incorporate into your own routine. Then there is also the opportunity to become an ambassador yourself!
Key Things To Remember!
Remember you don’t need to live in Essex in order to be able to access some great resources and support tools. There are so many more features on the website to explore and utilise for those wanting to start exercise, to those who want to volunteer. Then there’s plenty of CPD taking place, lots of events and local news on the blog page. Have a good look through and see what you can get from it! You may even be inspired to start something in your own area, if you aren’t lucky enough to be living in a borough which has its residents futures at the heart of their agenda and missions.
The Important Links
Active Essex - Homepage
Active Essex - 10 Year Strategy
Active Essex - Activity Finder
Active Essex - Find Your Active
Active Essex Newsletter - The Pulse
Activate For Children and Young People
Active Essex - YouTube Homepage
Active Essex - Gentle Exercise Playlist
Active Essex - Newsletter
Active Essex - Pedal Power
Running Mayor - Samantha Holmes
Time To Heal - Superheroes Challenge
https://timetoheal1210.wixsite.com/pituitaryconditions/post/superheroes-essex-all-together-programme
Superheroes Series - Homepage
Active Essex - Ambassadors Page
Active Essex Foundation