Tag: physical health

New Physical Activity Hub Launched!

Age UK’s Health and Wellbeing Team have created a Physical Activity Hub on our Wordpress site to house all of the updates relating to physical activity and sport that appear in our e-newsletter Signpost.

We share a variety of communications with you via our e-newsletter Signpost. With that in mind, Age UK’s Health and Wellbeing Team have created a Physical Activity Hub on our WordPress site where all the Signpost updates relating to physical activity and sport can be stored, so that you can refer back to them quickly and easily in the future. Read on to find out more, or click here to visit the Physical Activity Hub. Please note, this Hub is for internal use only.

Our passionate physical activity professionals from across the organisation will use the Physical Activity Hub to house all the relevant physical activity resources, campaigns, funding opportunities, research, events that we share in Signpost to help Partners to keep up-to-date with all that is going on in this ever-growing sector.

Take a look at the physical activity hub below, to see the type of communications that are shared, or click here to sign up for Signpost if you don’t receive it already. You may also want to bookmark the Hub in your internet browser so that you can easily return to it in future. Please note, this Hub is for internal use only.

Click here to visit the physical activity hub!

If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Barnham or Peter Dutton, Project Managers in the Wellbeing Department at Age UK.

We have set up several Hubs on our WordPress site so far which you may want to take a look at, including a Campaigns Hub, a Network Infrastructure Hub, and an ICS Hub. You can use the pink menu at the top of this page to explore them.

We plan to add more Hubs soon so that Partners can more easily locate news that has been shared in Signpost. If you have any questions or feedback on Partner Communications, including Signpost, the loop, or the WordPress site please get in touch at signpost@ageuk.org.uk.

“Start with… parkrun” – New physical activity initiative

Find out all about the new “Start with… parkrun” initiative, including access to some resources to help spread the word.

‘Start with… parkrun’ is a new initiative aimed at anyone thinking about taking their first steps into physical activity, returning from a break, wanting to inspire a friend, or just simply get out in the great outdoors. Find out more about it below, including some resources to spread the word amongst those you work with.

‘Start with… parkrun’ celebrates all the gentler routes into weekend community events – encouraging people to come along as walkers, volunteers, spectators, or simply to just spend time with friends and be social in the fresh air. It’s a chance to try something new, in a safe and inclusive environment. Find out more details about ‘Start with… parkrun’ here.

parkruns are free, weekly, community events for people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and walks of life. Saturday events are 5k, and there is a 2k event series on a Sunday morning for children aged 4-14 years and their families. More than 150,000 people take part all around the world, every weekend, as walkers, joggers, runners and volunteers. There are parkruns at more than 2,200 locations, in 23 different countries.

Help to spread the word!

If you have time, parkrun would love it if you could help spread the word. For free, inclusive physical activity opportunities to offer your audience, parkrun is a great place to signpost them to. You can find the gif, and other Start with… parkrun assets in this library along with some additional information here. parkrun also have a bank of fun and welcoming, hi-res imagery here which you can use in any of your communications, using the hashtag #loveparkrun.

There is also some suggested social media wording that you can pair with the photos above if you wish:

Looking for a way to build healthy habits into the new year and beyond? Start with… parkrun!

parkruns are free, friendly community events held every weekend, and you can take part however you like!

For more info visit parkrun.com

#loveparkrun

New guidance on the benefits of physical activity for those living with long-term conditions

The British Journal of Sports Medicine has published a consensus statement on the benefits of physical activity for those living with long-term conditions. View the guidance along with some useful infographics below.

A review of the evidence about the risks of physical activity has led to new guidance to support health care professionals to have evidence-based conversations with people with long-term conditions, to empower them to gain the benefits from moving more. The key message is that the risk of adverse events when getting active is low. Find out about the guidance below, including some infographics to help spread the word.

The benefits of physical activity for people living with long-term conditions are well established. Through campaigns such as ‘We Are Undefeatable’, we know that the fear of increasing symptoms or worsening long-term problems commonly stops people from moving more. In fact, people living with long term conditions are twice as likely to be inactive.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine recently published new guidance in a consensus statement, making clear that the benefits of being active outweigh the risks for those living with long-term conditions. This comprises a series of statements about medical risks drawn up by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK, Sport England, Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (formerly Public Health England) and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

The key message is that the risk of adverse events when getting active is low, and that physical activity is safe, even for people with multiple long term conditions. Regular physical activity, in combination with standard medical care, has an important role to play in the treatment and prevention of many conditions.

The statements can be found on the Moving Medicine website, here: Risks from physical activity – Moving Medicine.

How you can help to spread the word

If you have time and would like to help to spread the word, you can use the assets below to share the statements through your local networks and social media channels, or use them in conversations with those you support.

The graphics for social media posts can be found here: Risk consensus statement graphics – Moving Medicine

An infographic of the statements can be downloaded as a two-page PDF here: Risk Consensus Statements Infographic

Upcoming We Are Undefeatable Webinar

Catch up with the latest insights, news and campaign plans for We Are Undefeatable at their Autumn Webinar on Thursday 30th September at 10am.

There’s still time to save your space at the next We Are Undefeatable webinar. Join us on Thursday 30th September from 10am to 11am for the latest updates from the We Are Undefeatable campaign. This webinar will provide some insight into current experiences of people living with health conditions, what barriers they have been facing and what opportunities there are to support them to build physical activity into their routines. The webinar will also be sharing a preview of upcoming assets/resources that may be relevant to local partners.

What can you look forward to at the autumn webinar?

  • Insights and results from our summer campaign period
  • An exciting update on our activity for autumn, including a TV partnership with a popular daytime programme
  • A preview of the new Make Your Move video series from the Richmond Group
  • The latest wider system activation updates from Sport England

We look forward to seeing you at the webinar, where there will also be the opportunity to answer any questions you may have around the campaign. In the meantime, contact us with any immediate questions via email at weareundefeatable@ageuk.org.uk.

Click here to book your place

Please note: This event is for campaign supporters and stakeholders. The event can be shared with with your colleagues and organisations you work with, however it should not be shared on external social media platforms. Thank you.

Two Social Prescribing Updates

A roundup of two social prescribing updates, from the Accelerating Innovation Programme and the National Academy for Social Prescribing.

This post contains two social prescribing updates which may be of interest. The first discusses the Accelerating Innovation Programme, which aims to address health inequalities and support Covid-recovery plans by harnessing skills and assets of national organisations to complement local community action. The second post, is a call for case studies from the National Academy for Social Prescribing. Both posts can be read in full below.

Accelerating Innovation Programme – Community of Practice

The new Accelerating Innovation programme (a partnership between NASP, RVS and NHSE) will bring together a community of practice of national voluntary organisations (including their local affiliated organisations) to support the development of new ideas and partnerships for social prescribing activities.

The programme aims to address health inequalities and support Covid-recovery plans by harnessing skills and assets of national organisations to complement local community action. The programme will support members in developing good connections with local health and care systems and community groups, provide learning opportunities, and share innovative best practice and tools for innovation.

Read the blog by James Sanderson and Jeremy Hughes to find out more, and register your interest in joining the Community of Practice by 3rd October.

National Academy for Social Prescribing – Case Studies Call Out

Two national-reaching publications have been in touch with National Academy for Social Prescribing about social prescribing for people of retirement age and above. They are looking for case studies and examples, and potentially to interview a couple of people who have experienced social prescribing and seen a benefit to their physical or mental health.

If you can help, please email Francesca Baker francesca.baker@nasp.info by Tuesday 14 Sept. We appreciate and apologise for the fact that this is such short notice, please note that this timeline is being driven by external organisations rather than Age UK.

Inclusive Summer of Sport Festival 2021 – Showcase Presentation

Disability Sport Coach are hosting a two day virtual event as part of the Inclusive Summer of Sport Festival, including a short online presentation and panel discussions which you can sign up for below.

Throughout August, Disability Sports Coach has hosted an Inclusive Summer of Sport festival, in celebration of the upcoming Paralympic Games and the recent return of grassroots sport. As part of festival, they are hosting a two-day virtual event on 24-25 August, including a short online presentation and panel discussions which you can sign up for below. We’re sorry this is at such short notice but we have only just been made aware of this opportunity and still wanted to share it with you in case you are able to attend.

The Inclusive Summer of Sport Festival highlights the importance of community in making physical activity inclusive, and how their Community Clubs ensure disabled people aren’t left behind as activities reopen.

Presentation

Ahead of the virtual festival, the team will host a short presentation online from 10.30-10.55am on 24 August, covering the topics below. The presentation includes:

  • A review of the impact of Covid-19 on our charity and our members
  • Disability Sports Coach’s response, including their work with Sport England through TIF
  • Share key lessons and future plans, including their upcoming strategy and brand new Empowering Partners programme

You can join the presentation with the following details:

  • Join Zoom Meeting here
  • Meeting ID: 848 9043 1529
  • Passcode: 114383
View panel discussions

Alongside the Showcase, Disability Sport Coach would like to invite you and your networks to two exciting panel discussions:

  • Tuesday 24th August – 14:00-15:00
    • Leveraging Digital Communities in Inclusive Sport – featuring disability bloggers Shona Louise and Dee Reilly, sharing their experiences.
  • Wednesday 25th August – 14:00-15:00
    • Why Community is Key in the Future of Inclusive Sport – speakers from Activity Alliance, the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University, and the brand new Accessercise App.

The sessions are free to attend and you can book on Eventbrite

If you have any questions, please get in touch with info@disabilitysportscoach.co.uk. To find out more about the festival itself, please click here.

Webinar Recording: Latest research on impact of Covid-19 on older people’s health

Age UK’s Health Influencing Team recently held a webinar on their research into the impact of Covid-19 on older people’s mental and physical health. View the recording below.

Age UK’s Health Influencing Team recently held a webinar to go over our latest findings on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older people’s physical and mental health. If you missed it or want to share it with colleagues you can find the recording below along with our report on the same subject from last year.

Following on from our report last year, we have repeated the survey and polling to understand how older people are managing a year into the pandemic, including the impact of another period of lockdown restrictions. This webinar goes through that latest round of research and includes quantitative statistics and powerful personal testimonies of the pandemic, which will helpfully paint a picture for decision makers, statutory and community services and the public as to the needs of older people following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest report from this research is imminent but not quite ready yet, we will share once it’s complete. In the meantime please note that this link is private and so should only be shared amongst Age UK colleagues and brand partners. You can use information and statistics for funding bids or local influencing, but we ask that they aren’t used publicly just yet.

Click here to view the webinar recording.

If you have any questions please get in touch with healthinfluencing@ageuk.org.uk.