HOW HEALTHY ARE YOU?
The Council promotes health and well-being in a number of ways including encouraging people to exercise more, to eat a balanced and healthy diet and promoting health promotion messages for example around alcohol and sexual health. This page provides information on some of the initiatives the Council is involved in.
Activities for Children and Young People
Leisure Link also provides courses in a variety of sports such as girls’ football, cricket, rugby, hockey and basketball. Many young people go on to join local clubs and a number have gained county or national recognition as a result of their subsequent achievements.
Leisure Link also provides a range of excursions during the school holidays for example dry slope ski-ing and paint balling. For a full programme of summer holiday activities across the District check out the Summer Action Pack, a free 40-page colour booklet which lists everything from children's playschemes, sports coaching and summer camps to arts and drama workshops and music tuition.
The Council has recently appointed a Street Sports Co-ordinator whose role is to develop skating boarding, BMX-ing and inline skating activities across the District. Government funding through the ‘play strategy’ has enabled a trailer with mobile skate equipment to be purchased to support this work.
Activities for Older People
The Council’s Leisure Link team enables and supports the development of sporting activities for older people across the District. These include 50+ multi-sport clubs, short mat bowls, yoga sessions, health walks, exercise on referral, green gym and chair-based exercise classes.
Activities for People With Disabilities
Everyone has a right to access leisure activities and facilities. Through the Ready and Able Club, the Council provides opportunities for young people with special needs to access and enjoy a number of different activities including, football, bowls, swimming, basketball, short tennis, indoor kurling, golf, table tennis and trampolining.
YOU CAN DO IT is a club, which facilitates the provision of inclusive extracurricular activities for children who have Down Syndrome and other special needs and who attend primary schools in the Horsham District.
Opportunities for All
On your Bike - The Council has selected and tested 44 circular cycle routes which suitable for enjoyable cycling at various levels. Guided cycle rides are also available.
Health Walks - Walking is a great form of exercise. It can be incorporated easily into everyday life, regardless of how fit or how old you are. Walking is especially important for those with specific health problems or with very limited fitness. It can also play a major role in helping maintain a good level of fitness and keeping illness at bay. What’s more, it’s free.
Leisure Centres
There are a wide range of leisure facilities and activities in the Horsham District for those interested in getting active and staying fit, including some excellent leisure centres, golf courses, indoor and outdoor swimming pools as well as other opportunities across the range of sporting possibilities.
Free Play
Across the District, free access is provided to many equipped play spaces, multi-sports courts (for basketball, netball or football), basketball hoops and permanent football goals. Just recently there is a move towards providing more challenging play spaces for older children.
Parks, Countryside and Open Space
The Council looks after over 400 hectares of public open space which can be accessed for walking, running, playing or for just enjoying the fresh air and green space. Try activities and games such as canoeing, orienteering, fishing, kite flying, camp building, cycling, rounders, stool ball or Frisbee. Organised events are regularly held and spaces can be hired for private or public events.
Exercise on Referral
The Council runs a Exercise on Referral scheme, which enables doctors and other health professionals to refer patients or clients to their local leisure centre where a qualified exercise professional develops a specific and low cost programme of exercise for them over a 10 to 20 week period.
Exercise referral programmes are specifically designed to meet the needs of people at risk from, or suffering with, coronary heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, back pain, anxiety or depression and a range of conditions linked to lengthy periods of inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle. Many of the people that join the programmes initially lack confidence and several have never participated at activities at a leisure centre in their life.
Further information is available in the 'Activity for Health' leaflet (216kb).
Healthy Eating
The Council, together with volunteers from the Senior Persons’ Council, are running workshop sessions for groups of older people. These sessions are interactive and at the end participants receive a menu pack which includes recipe cards for healthy meals that can be prepared on a budget.
Health Promotion
The Council works with a number of agencies including Horsham Information Shop, the Primary Care Trust and West Sussex Youth Service to promote key health promotion messages. This includes alcohol awareness, falls prevention, sexual health and smoking cessation.
HYPER have produced a ‘Going to the Doctors’ leaflet aimed at giving young people confidence to make an appointment to see their GP by explaining their rights and what to expect in terms of confidentiality.
Horsham Healthy Workplace Awards.
Horsham District Council is currently developing an award scheme that encourages employers to provide a healthy workplace.
Participation in the Horsham Healthy Workplace project will help businesses in addressing high staff turnover, high sickness absence, and to increase the morale and motivation of your employees. In turn employees will benefit from healthier working conditions, having easily accessible health information in the workplace, and importantly working for an employer who values their health. To help your business become healthier, happier and more productive the Council can assist by supporting any health initiatives and providing health information resources for the workplace. The Council can also assist businesses in its application for a Healthy Workplace Award and the Council will be seeking all opportunities to promote those businesses that seek to get involved in the project.
For further information please contact the Leisure Link* team on 01403 215639 or email community.development@horsham.gov.uk
* Leisure Link is a Community Development leisure and fitness service offered by Horsham District Council.