Get Out Get Active exceeds expectations in the Black Country

Despite launching during the first national COVID lockdown, Active Black Country has welcomed 600 participants to their activities.

Active Black Country (ABC) lead the Get Out Get Active programme in Wolverhampton. Despite launching during the first national COVID lockdown, ABC has welcomed 600 participants through a combination of traditional activity delivery and a workforce-centred social prescribing approach.

Get Out Get Active (GOGA) brings disabled and non-disabled people together to enjoy being active in fun and inclusive ways. In Wolverhampton activities included a weekly programme of yoga in rooms at six Gurdwaras.

“It was a fantastic programme to be involved in, engaging and activating almost 1,000 Wolverhampton residents,” said Jodi Adams, Strategic Lead Active Communities at Active Black Country. "We were able to explore and understand the potential of faith leaders and faith centres to reach the most inactive disabled and non-disabled people in the city."

Following this success, Active Black Country was awarded new funding thanks to support from Sport England and the London Marathon Trust to extend their work. Residents in Sunderland, Wiltshire, the Black Country, Amber Valley and Blackpool will all continue to see the benefits of the national GOGA programme through 2024 and into 2025.

The team behind Active Black Country is building on their successes to make the programme even more impactful. They plan to increase the range of opportunities to be active across Black Country communities.

"We can use the learning from this previous phase to ensure physical activity opportunities are inclusive, attainable and support stronger and better-connected communities," Jodi added.

Faith leaders can play a critical part in an emerging physical activity workforce, utilising their roles as trusted community sources of information to cascade positive messages about activity to those who would benefit from hearing it."

"It is great to see the work in Wolverhampton recognised and the residents of the other Black Country authorities (Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall) offered the same opportunity.

"The aim is to broaden our engagement with communities across the Black Country and with a focus on Inter Faith week, between the 10th and 17th November, we can support many more disabled and non-disabled residents in being active to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

Jodi Adams, Strategic Lead Active Communities at Active Black Country