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The race is on to get Wigan fit for the future. Council, sport and
health chiefs in the borough want everyone to get active and get in
SHAPE over the next five years.
SHAPE (Sport, Health and Physical Education) is the brainchild of a
group of organisations working in partnership to improve the health,
well-being and quality of life for residents of the borough.
The key partners in the project are Wigan Council, Wigan Leisure and
Culture Trust, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust and Wigan
Borough Sports Council. Together they want to see the number of people
taking part in regular physical activity in the borough increase by
3,000 a year for the next five years.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s Sport and Health Manager Nick Colledge
explained: “SHAPE is Wigan Borough’s five-year plan for a joined up
policy for Sport, Health and Physical Education. Many people in our
borough are passionate about sport, their health and exercise. SHAPE
aims to involve everyone, including those people who are not doing
exercise at the moment, so they can experience the personal enjoyment
and other benefits of being active. SHAPE will see lots of positive
changes over the next five years.”
Work has already begun to promote active lifestyles amongst young people
in the wake of fears about childhood obesity. Excellent progress has
already been made; currently 88 per cent of school pupils in the borough
take part in PE or school sport each week.
Assistant Director for Children and Young People’s Services Richard
Powell said: “We have hit the government’s targets for physical activity
amongst school children two years early. SHAPE will help us work towards
even more challenging goals.”
It’s not just young people who are being encouraged to get active.
Statistics from Sport England’s Active People Survey (2007) showed that
just over 21 per cent of the borough’s adult population take part in
sport or physical activity three times a week. The survey also showed
that activity levels among women in the borough are particularly low.
Chief Executive for Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust Rodney Hill said:
“This means that 79 per cent of us just aren’t active enough! Regular
physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease,
stroke, hypertension, diabetes and cancer. We want more people to reap
the health benefits of an active lifestyle and to do this all parts of
the community have to be involved.”
Thanks to SHAPE, Sport England will be investing £350,000 to support
projects to get more people involved across Wigan Borough.
Rodney continued: “Sport England’s support has been crucial. A whole
range of new programmes have been planned including training
opportunities for sports coaches and activity programmes aimed at a
broad range of people. We’re planning a series of year-round events
linking with clubs, schools and the borough’s townships. We’re also
hoping to provide a range of sporting activities and training camps that
will culminate in finals to be held next year to coincide with the 2008
Beijing Olympics.”
SHAPE kicks off in style on Wednesday 26th September when the SHAPE crew
takes its show on the road with a fun relay from one end of the borough
to the other.
Starting at Pennington Flash and carrying SHAPE’s very own relay torch,
schoolchildren, runners, cyclists, walkers, horse-riders and even
canoeists will be taking part in the trek right across the borough to
Haigh Hall via Wigan Pier and Wigan town centre. A number of sports
stars past and present, local clubs and community groups will all be
joining the relay.
Chair of the SHAPE board Cllr Jim Moodie said: “Getting more physically
active can have lots of benefits, including improving your fitness and
mental well-being. It can also help you make new friends and get
involved in your community.
“Being active doesn’t need to cost a lot of money, there are plenty of
opportunities to take part for free. Making the most of the outdoors is
one way to get fit and healthy and there’s plenty to offer in the
borough’s parks and countryside.
“SHAPE is not just aimed at targeting health, it also benefits
education, culture, social care, stronger and safer communities and the
borough’s economy. Everything’s ready to go, now we all we need is you!
There’s plenty on offer, so get involved, get active, get in SHAPE.”
Following on from the relay, the formal launch of SHAPE will take place
between 3.30pm and 6.30pm at Haigh Hall on Wednesday 26th September.
This event is aimed at members of sports clubs and local sports and
health service providers; limited places are still available. For
further details or to book a place contact Jeff Gorse on 01942 404961.
Anyone who would like to find out more about SHAPE can contact Wigan
Leisure and Culture Trust’s Active Living Team on 01942 488481 or visit
www.wlct.org/SHAPE.
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NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this press release please
contact Chris Dunbar, Media and Public Relations Manager, on 01942
486937 or at c.dunbar@wlct.org, and/or Phil Green at Wigan Council’s
Press Office on 01942 827369 or at
p.green@wiganmbc.gov.uk
Media Opportunities: Photographers, journalists, radio and TV are all
invited to take part in the launch of SHAPE from 10am at Pennington
Flash, Leigh on Wednesday 26th September. Various media opportunities
will be available en route to Haigh Hall. The expected finish time is
3pm.
Photographs: The attached pictures show (l to r) Rona Cruickshank
(Acting Director for Public Health for Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary
Care Trust), Rodney Hill (Chief Executive of Wigan Leisure and Culture
Trust), Cllr Jim Moodie (Chair of SHAPE Board), Bernard Walker (Director
of Adult Services), and Richard Powell (Assistant Director of Children
and Young People’s Services) at Robin Park Arena, Wigan.
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(l to r) Rona Cruickshank (Acting
Director for Public Health for Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care
Trust), Rodney Hill (Chief Executive of Wigan Leisure and Culture
Trust), Cllr Jim Moodie (Chair of SHAPE Board), Bernard Walker (Director
of Adult Services), and Richard Powell (Assistant Director of Children
and Young People’s Services) at Robin Park Arena
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