Despite a growing trend of inactivity in families and young people, BH Live has seen an increase in activity participation thanks to structured sessions across its leisure centres.
Six leisure facilities in the region are operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council, Bournemouth Schools Charitable Trust and Portsmouth City Council. In addition, BH Live Active, Corfe Mullen, is due to open in November 2016. Last year more than 2.6 million leisure centre attendances were recorded.
One of BH Live’s social objectives is to get more people more active, specifically targeting individuals and groups who are showing a decline in participation. In response to this, BH Live created an activity programme to target families and young people.
Alongside its learn-to-swim, football and early years programme, weekly 813 Club and 527 Club sessions for young people launched featuring racquets, yoga, pilates, trampolining, swim skills and circuits. Free weekly family sessions, focusing on having fun together in public spaces and parks, playing games such as skipping, hopscotch and stuck in the mud, were also piloted.
More than 1,300 hours of structured sessions have so far been delivered and the team is engaged with 200 more families than the previous year.
“Studies tell us that children with parents who are active, and more specifically children who get active with their parents, are more likely to stick with it as they get older, says Viv Galpin, BH Live’s Children’s Programming Team Leader.
“We are also finding that if a family member needs some extra support, actually taking some time out from the day-to-day pressures, and doing something fun together in a nurtured environment, can be really beneficial for the whole family.”
Sessions are available on a membership and pay-as-you-go-basis. Family memberships are available in Poole and launching soon across Bournemouth and Portsmouth. There are also free sessions and concessions for families on low income.
Find out more at bhliveactive.org.uk
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Notes to Editors:
Photo-caption:
A family at Littledown Centre
For more information about BH Live please contact:
Elizabeth Symmons, PR & Corporate Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
T: (01202) 055562
About BH Live
BH Live is the South Coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues; a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.
With more than three million visits a year and over £36.5 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2015/16 BH Live hosted more than 500 events, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets. They welcomed 2.4 million active participants into its leisure centres and 118,000 conference and exhibition delegates into its venues. This contributed an estimated £66.3 million to the local economy through business and cultural tourism.
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