Activities for sustainable and healthy communities

 

 

Cycling for Health

The Sustainable and Healthy Communities Team at Stafford Borough Council has been successful in an application for funding from the Locality Health Board to set up a new pilot Cycling for Health project, along the lines of the successful Walking for Health programme.

 

Cycling is an easy and low-impact activity which can significantly improve individual fitness and which has the potential to have a major impact on public health. It can help to reduce the risk of a range of health problems, notably heart disease and cancer, the leading preventable causes of premature death. In a country like the UK, where obesity is at epidemic levels among adults and young people, one of the main benefits of cycling is that people can do it as part of their normal daily activity – by cycling to work, to see friends or to the shops – rather than having to find additional time for exercise. As well as improving physical health, cycling has a positive affect on emotional health – improving levels of well-being, self-confidence and tolerance to stress while reducing tiredness, difficulties with sleep and a range of medical symptoms (1). 

 

Stafford Borough Walking for Health programme – six monthly update 

We have run a Walking for Health programme for several years and have been lucky enough to have gained external funding from a range of sources to fund a part time Walking for Health Co-ordinator. Kim Squires has been looking after this project since April this year.

 

Walking regularly has tremendous health benefits – it can help reduce risk of heart disease by up to 50%, it can help strengthen muscles and bones and reduce anxiety and depression, plus bring other benefits to the environment etc.

 

The Stafford Borough Walking for Health programme continues to grow and since June has added several new led Health Walks to the scheme and run one training course for new Volunteer Walk Leaders (VWL).

 

Demand is high for places on the next VWL training course due to take place in the autumn (October 9^th and 16^th). Two park rangers will be attending the training, bringing to three the number of rangers qualified to lead walks and extending the walking programme to parks in Stone.

 

To read the full update please click here.

 

 

For more information on the aims of Stafford Borough Council’s Sustainable and Healthy Communities Team and details on objectives, membership, plus Agendas, Minutes and information on the group’s Activities visit the website www.staffordbc.gov.uk

 

For further information about these projects please contact:

Karen Davies
Sustainable and Healthy Communities Co-ordinator
Stafford Borough Council
Tel: 01785 619408
Email: kdavies@staffordbc.gov.uk

 

Kim Squires
Walking and Cycling for Health Co-ordinator
Stafford Borough Council
Tel: 01785 619686
Email: ksquires@staffordbc.gov.uk