Find Your Active celebrates the fact that everyone can enjoy the huge benefits of moving more – it’s just about finding what is right for you. When it comes to getting active, we know that finding the right activity greatly increases your chances of creating a new, sustainable, healthy habit.
Now into the depths of spring, Find Your Active wants to help inspire residents across the county to head outside, and enjoy what the new season has to offer. Despite the potential for spring showers, the months of April and May create opportunities to explore your local park, try an activity outside, or grease your chains on the bike and find family routes to explore on two wheels.
Essex ActivAte also adopt the Find Your Active focuses by offering vital signposting to families around the benefits of movement, no matter how big or small. Club providers who partner with the programme also help to amplify the Find Your Active campaign through engaging holiday activities, such as outdoor adventures and play.
Get Golfing are a new club organisation in Basildon, who joined the Holiday Activity and Food programme (HAF) this Easter to help support local families and children that have barriers to participation, through free golfing activities. Their holiday club and Fun, Food, and Golf programme also offers breakfast and nutritious meals while teaching participants to eat healthily and have a balanced, active lifestyle.
The organisation provides endless opportunities to the local community, including mum and daughter sessions to encourage more women and girls to try golfing and enjoy movement outdoors, reducing the barriers within physical activity.
Ann who runs the club, told us: “We had a wonderful time giving children and families opportunities to play golf, also to achieve, be active, get outdoors and meet positive peer groups. The benefits to increasing confidence and mental health are achieved through a balance through physical activity and being outdoors – developing concentration, relaxation, achieving goals and encouraging participation at any level.”
The club noticed an increase in the children’s mental wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem through being outdoors and increasing their activity levels. Approximately 90% of the children who attended had special needs, with some parents advising the club that they had previously struggled to engage children in other local activities.
Get Golfing look to support the Basildon community further by inspiring young people to get outdoors and explore their green spaces by offering new activities, helping to divert them from crime, promoting school inclusion, working as part of a team and preventing anti-social behaviour in local areas.
To find more local clubs and activities near you, head over to the Find Your Active activity finder, or discover more about the Essex ActivAte programme here.
