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Wigan Borough Residents Amongst the Most
Active in Greater Manchester
Wigan Borough’s adult residents are officially
amongst the most physically active in Greater Manchester according to a
major nationwide survey revealed today by Sport England.
The Active People Survey, conducted by Ipsos MORI, the largest ever held
into the sport and recreational habits of people in England, paints a
positive picture of adult participation levels in Wigan.
Wigan was ranked third out of the ten authorities in Greater Manchester
with 21.2% of adults hitting the recommended target of 30 minutes of
sport or active recreation on three days per week, compared to the
Greater Manchester average of 19.9%. Only the more affluent boroughs of
Trafford and Stockport had higher levels of activity.
Rodney Hill, Chief Executive of Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, said,
“We are pleased with these results. We are glad to see that adults in
our borough are markedly more active than those areas with a similar
social make up to ours. This type of survey is the most comprehensive
ever conducted and, though there are great challenges ahead, the
detailed analysis will help us to focus even more on our vision to Get
Wigan Active.
Rodney continued: “We, along with our partners at the Council, the PCT
and the voluntary sector, have been working hard to provide more
opportunities for people to get physically active. Initiatives such as
free swimming for all residents aged over 60; the Steps to Health
programme and improvements to our already excellent sporting facilities
have helped to achieve these good results.
“We want to ensure that future generations are even more active through
the development of Leigh Sports Village; free-swimming for those aged 16
and under and the implementation of the new S.H.A.P.E policy.”
Sport England’s survey saw at least one thousand residents questioned in
every Local Authority area across the country (364,000 in total) about
their sport and active recreation habits. The sample size is more than
twenty times larger than the 2002 General Household Survey, the last
major survey conducted in sport.
The survey also points to good levels of activity among Wigan Borough’s
voluntary sector, where 4.4% of residents offer their services for free
to help with sporting activities and clubs within the community. This
compares favourably with the Greater Manchester average of 4%.
Trevor Barton, Chairman of Wigan Borough Sports Council, said, “We are
pleased with these results they are an indication of the enthusiasm
amongst the borough’s voluntary sector. There is room for improvement,
but volunteers in our borough are of an extremely high quality. Anyone
who witnesses the energy shown by our voluntary sports coaches and clubs
and the vibrancy and diversity of our annual Sports Awards cannot fail
to be impressed.”
The survey also gives a picture of the most popular sports across
England. Walking is the most popular recreational activity, followed by
swimming and going to the gym. Cycling, football, running and athletics,
golf, badminton, tennis and aerobics make up the top 10.
NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this News Release please
contact Chris Dunbar, Public Relations Officer, Wigan Leisure and
Culture Trust on 01942 486937 or at c.dunbar@wlct.org.
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