Make that change…
That’s the message from community leaders and health specialists who are urging everyone in Wigan Borough to make 2010 their Change4Life year.
Change4Life is the Department of Health’s national movement that encourages everyone to eat better, move more and live longer.
And its aim is a simple one – to let everyone in the borough know about what’s on offer for them locally as part of Change4Life.
It could be walking, cycling, dancing, swimming and getting involved in environmental activities, there’s plenty going on and lots of opportunities to find out more.
Wigan was one of the first boroughs in the country to offer free swimming for everyone and more than 58,000 took up the offer to get more active.
Now, the council and its partners want to build on this by looking at other activities that are on offer as part of the Change4Life movement and how it can be made as easy as possible for the public to get involved.
A key development is that the partners have now created an easy to use portal via the Internet for residents to find out more.
The Wigan Life website - www.wiganlife.com/change4life - will provide details of local activities running as part of the scheme. So the start of a new you really could be just a mouse-click away.
For those without access to the web – there are contact phone numbers and you can find out more at council or leisure venues.
Partners including Wigan Council, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan and Leigh MP Andy Burnham have joined forces to launch the Change4Life project in our borough.
Mr Burnham explains: “Free swimming has been a great success in our borough and as a result I challenged the council, Trust and the other partners to look at how we could build on this success and create a project where we could offer a lot more than swimming – but something to suit everyone’s tastes and ability levels.
“The Change4Life initiative gives us the perfect platform for us to be able to do this.
Leader of Wigan Council Lord Peter Smith says: “As well as producing world-class facilities for sport and health such as Robin Park and Leigh Sports Village, the council was one of the first in the country to offer free swimming for all and it’s proved to be a real success.
“We know that there is an historical problem with poor-health and obesity in our borough and that’s why Change4Life is the right choice for Wigan.”
Dr Kate Ardern, Executive Director of Public Health for Wigan Borough said: "Signing up for Change for Life demonstrates the strong commitment of all partners in the borough to encourage and support local people to lead more active, healthier lives. “Change4Life is a very welcome addition and support to the great work we already have underway to reduce adult obesity through Lose Weight Feel Great, to better prevent heart disease and strokes which are our biggest single cause of premature avoidable death in people under the age of 75 years through the Heart of Wigan programme and the fantastic results seen already through the provision of Free Swimming. I warmly endorse the approach of Change4Life and let's get the Borough fit for the 21st Century."
Rodney Hill, chief executive of WLCT, said: “Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust is delighted to be part of the Change for Life programme. Our aim is to get Wigan active and this programme will offer numerous ways that people can get involved and keep fit, at the same time as having fun.”
Change4Life will be launched in Wigan at Leigh Sport Village on Friday March 12.
At the launch event invited guests will get to see demonstrations of some of the great healthy activities and events on offer in Wigan – from the Wheels 4 All cycling programme targeted at cycling opportunities for people with disabilities and differing needs through to local dance opportunities and how to make your own healthy smoothie.
