Funding now available for Walking Sports
22 July 2022
Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire have recently set up a Walking Sports Network to co-ordinate and promote the number of walking sports activities there are across the two counties for older adults to get involved with, and they now have funding available to apply for.
The walking sports network is funded by the Sport England’s Inequality Fund and they are working in partnership with Active Herefordshire & Worcestershire. The funding available will allow for venues to be hired, equipment to be purchased, courses such as : First Aid, Adult Safeguarding, Support Coach Qualifications and in the short term coaches to be paid; it can also support the option to allow for a number of sessions to be free of charge to participants whilst you develop and establish a group who will regularly come along and become self-funding. Marketing and advertising can also be included in this, and they will be helping to promote your activity through their own networks, social media, press releases and website
Their aim is to connect the current Walking Sports offers of: Football, Netball, Tennis, Basketball and Rugby sessions currently running and to develop new opportunities.
They are looking to increase the number of Walking Sports activities available to people across the two counties who will benefit from a variety of health improvements such as improved physical health (mobility, balance, strength & general fitness), psychological wellbeing (decreased stress, improved sense of identity, routine & self-confidence) and social connectedness (feeling part of a group, comradery, peer support) whilst decreasing feelings of social isolation and reducing the risk of many diseases and illnesses. New Walking Sports sessions will also provide individuals with a weekly routine, which has been highlighted as an important psychological factor as older adults develop new identities and feelings of purpose.
What they are asking of you
By creating these opportunities, they are keen to find out how the number of people taking part in the sessions and how the activities are affecting people mentally, socially and physically.
They are asking that you keep records of numbers of attendees to be sent through weekly and collect surveys from the participants when they start attending the sessions; then at a three-month period and six month period. The surveys can be done electronically or in paper form and are already written.
They are looking to find out Increased or Decreased levels of:
- Loneliness
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Sleeping Patterns
- Sense of Purpose
- Energy
- Levels of Activity
The amount of funding available will be given on the resources already accessible to you and the number of activities you propose to run.
If you are interested, or know anyone who might be in applying; please send through an application which explains all about your organisation, why you would like to apply, how much you require, how you will spend the funding and how you will be able to keep the sessions sustainable once the funding has finished.
To find out more information please get in contact with Carley Edge on 07787 133203 or cedge@ageukhw.org.uk or Caroline Savage csavage@ageukhw.org.uk