Active Swindon

Active Swindon is an alliance between the Swindon NHS Primary Care Trust, Swindon Borough Council and the Great Western Community Forest partnership which aims to encourage and promote healthier lifestyles via physical activity. A team of six Development Officers are working in different sectors of the Borough to raise awareness with and give support to the local communities.

The Active Swindon Development Officer for family based learning sits within the Community Forest team, working closely with them to help improve access to walking and cycling pathways in Swindon and the surrounding areas, to encourage the use of woodlands for family activity and learning and to increase opportunities for disabled people, older people and children to be more involved in physical activity.

The three key areas this work encompasses are;

• Woodland for activity which embraces school and family based initiatives such as Forest Schools and the highly acclaimed Story Sack project. These entice young people and their parents into the woodlands to explore, learn and be active. Programmes of activity through Extended Schools and Sure Start  will also be tailored to the needs and opportunties of each individual centre.
• Volunteer and conservation opportunities to promote fitness, well-being and health for everyone through physical work, improving the local environment. This offers a new way to get fit and healthy and to socialise, providing an exciting alternative for people who do not like the idea of joining a sports centre or gym.
• Active Travel which aims to encourage more people to walk and cycle to work and for leisure.

For further information see the Active Swindon website (www.swindon.gov.uk/activeswindon)