Get Out Get Active programme to be delivered in Blackpool

Active Blackpool has secured funding from the Activity Alliance to deliver a three-year Get Out Get Active programme in the town.

Get Out Get Active (GOGA) helps people both, with and without disabilities, to enjoy being active together. The programme promotes the benefits of physical activity and aims to increase the number of people who are able to access and enjoy local opportunities.

Blackpool Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Gillian Campbell, said: ‘The news of funding for the Get Out Get Active programme is most definitely welcome. This is a wide-reaching initiative which will promote physical activity and wellbeing within the Blackpool community.

‘Being active can have a huge impact on our physical and mental health. Get Out Get Active will offer a pathway for people to enjoy new opportunities, regardless of disability.’

A spokesman for Blackpool Council said GOGA will be delivered in partnership with Blackpool Coastal Housing (BCH), which has already launched coordinated activities to promote wellbeing and mental health in Blackpool, such as group ping-pong sessions.

The programme will target those who live in social housing and will be delivered in Blackpool Coastal Housing community centres, as well as other local venues and leisure centres.

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The first phase of GOGA, which began in 2016, was delivered within 18 localities across the UK. This time, thousands of inactive people across 21 locations will benefit from the latest £5million of programme funding.

In September 2019, it was announced that the founding funder, Spirit of 2012, awarded a further £3 million to GOGA across the UK. At the same time, Sport England also invested an additional £1 million into England. Last week London Marathon Charitable Trust revealed their £1 million grant investment.

A spokesman for Get Out Get Active said: ‘Working together, we aim to increase the number of people who are able to access and enjoy local opportunities.

‘This could be through the local authority or independent provision, sports clubs or perhaps volunteering. We want to motivate people by tapping into their values and the things that matter most to them. This includes building friendships, maintaining health, having fun and progressing in life.

‘Partners will be guided by our Talk to Me ten principles. These principles result from research with disabled people, which explored what helps to make activities more appealing and accessible. If used effectively, the principles apply to a wide range of inactive audiences – not just disabled people.

‘We want to support more people to lead active and healthier lifestyles. By doing this, we can actively help to build stronger and more unified communities.’

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