Herefordshire limbers up to healthy living

Young people from Herefordshire have been encouraged to dust down their trainers, as part of a healthy living project organised by local housing provider, West Mercia Housing Group.

Twenty-minute exercise taster sessions were on offer at the free event, held at the Hereford Halo leisure centre. Visitors tried out spinning, ‘fitball’, archery and self defence classes.

Anyone with enough stamina at the end of the afternoon had the chance to take part in ‘beat the goalie’, mini iron man and dodge ball competitions.

The afternoon was organised by Leominster Foyer, one of three supported housing schemes for young adults in Herefordshire, run by Herefordshire Supported Housing for Young People Project (SHYPP), which is part of West Mercia Housing Group.

Hannah Palmer, Senior Foyer Worker at Leominster Foyer, said: “We all had an awesome time. More than 40 people came along to sample sports they’d never tried before, and all of the exercise classes were full”.

“The aim of the day was to spark off an enthusiasm for exercise in young people who may have been put off in the past; maybe because they were afraid that they didn’t have the ‘right’ clothes or were daunted by the thought of going into the gym for the first time alone.

“We wanted to take away these barriers by offering free sessions, help with transport and informal, bite-sized classes, to give anyone the chance to get involved.”

The physical activity day was arranged as part of a wider, three-year project being run through the Foyer Federation’s Healthy Living Programme which Leominster Foyer is running in partnership with SHYPP’s other Foyers in Hereford and Ross.

Thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s wellbeing programme, Foyer users will continue to learn about healthy eating, physical activity and mental wellbeing, through a series of events planned for the next few years.