Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet has approved proposals to build on the success of its Fit 4 Fun project through the development of an Active Health programme.
The Fit 4 Fun project was created in February 2011with the aim of encouraging people from various groups in the community to improve their health and wellbeing by offering free health and fitness activities within parks, community settings and open spaces across the district.
Over the last four years over 24,000 people including physically inactive residents, people with disabilities, members of the older generation, those from isolated rural areas and migrant settlers have participated in the project.
The four-year project has been funded by a £374,000 grant from the Big Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund. With funding ending in February 2015, cabinet approved the allocation of £40,000 to ensure the continuation of the service and to deliver the first year of a new Active Health programme which will see Harrogate Borough Council working alongside partner organisations to further promote and encourage healthy lifestyles and participation in sport and physical activity.
Councillor Pat Jones, Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism & Sports said: The Fit 4 Fun project has been a great success. We set ourselves a target of involving 14,000 people in Fit 4 Fun activities, however we have smashed that target and the project has exceeded all expectations.
With our current funding arrangements coming to an end it was important that we ensured finances were in place to continue the good work of the Fit 4 Fun project. In light of its success we also felt it was important to expand on this work by developing an Active Health programme as part of the council’s wider Health & Wellbeing Action Plan. This will build on the success of the Fit 4 Fun project and provide a wide range of health and wellbeing activities for the community.
For further details on the Fit 4 Fun programme, please visit: www.harrogate.gov.uk/spdv/Pages/fit-4-fun.aspx
