More People, More Active, More Often! By Doug Pullen, Leader of <strong>Lichfield</strong> District Council As autumn nears and the nights draw <strong>in</strong>, I always f<strong>in</strong>d it more difficult to stay motivated on my fitness goals. We know stay<strong>in</strong>g active is really important - it’s good for both our physical and mental health, as well as for pure enjoyment! District Councils have a major role to play <strong>in</strong> the health of our residents - and it’s why we are <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g millions of pounds not only <strong>in</strong> a leisure centre, but <strong>in</strong> convert<strong>in</strong>g a disused railway <strong>in</strong>to a Greenway, improv<strong>in</strong>g our parks for activities such as the brilliant (and free to attend!) ParkRun, free leisure activities and improv<strong>in</strong>g walk<strong>in</strong>g routes <strong>in</strong> new developments. And this just isn’t so athletes are well-catered for… this is about gett<strong>in</strong>g more people, more active, more often, so that we can provide opportunities for people to improve their quality of life. Speak<strong>in</strong>g to one of our staff the other day, I learned that we were able to assist someone back <strong>in</strong>to work after a serious bout of depression. Through a collaborative approach that <strong>in</strong>volved work<strong>in</strong>g closely with the <strong>in</strong>dividual and their GP, we were able to extend a help<strong>in</strong>g hand. We provided swim sessions and various other activities tailored to their needs, and the results were remarkable. This <strong>in</strong>dividual not only experienced improvements <strong>in</strong> their mental health but also rega<strong>in</strong>ed the confidence and resilience needed to return to work. It's a testament to the positive impact that our community-focused <strong>in</strong>itiatives can have on <strong>in</strong>dividual lives. Our district is blessed with an abundance of green spaces (ok, slightly orangey-brown <strong>in</strong> autumn, but that’s beside the po<strong>in</strong>t!). Our council takes great pride <strong>in</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g these parks as more than just visually pleas<strong>in</strong>g landscapes. These havens are designed to encourage physical activity, serv<strong>in</strong>g as <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g sett<strong>in</strong>gs for leisurely walks, brisk runs, or moments of tranquil contemplation. For those seek<strong>in</strong>g structured fitness options, <strong>Lichfield</strong> District is fortunate to host not one, but two exceptional leisure centres. These establishments offer a comprehensive range of fitness facilities, from <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools to <strong>in</strong>vigorat<strong>in</strong>g exercise classes and wellequipped gyms. Our commitment to accessibility ensures that <strong>in</strong>dividuals of all ages and fitness levels can engage <strong>in</strong> fulfill<strong>in</strong>g physical activities. To further promote <strong>in</strong>clusivity, we offer free activity sessions. These sessions provide an excellent opportunity to explore new activities, forge connections with fellow residents, and potentially discover a new passion for physical pursuits. Our aim is to make exercise accessible to everyone <strong>in</strong> our diverse community. <strong>Lichfield</strong> District Council is steadfastly committed to champion<strong>in</strong>g physical activity and community well-be<strong>in</strong>g. By offer<strong>in</strong>g vital <strong>in</strong>frastructure, free sessions, and ongo<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vestments, we will facilitate the pursuit of healthier, more fulfill<strong>in</strong>g lives for all residents. I wholeheartedly encourage you to seize these opportunities, take a few more steps this autumn and jo<strong>in</strong> us on this journey towards a healthier <strong>Lichfield</strong> District. Autum is here, the leaves are fall<strong>in</strong>g, and the nights are draw<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>. Children are back at school and before we know it, the festive season will be here. After our busy schedule of events over the summer, autumn is always a good time for us at Burntwood Town Council to reflect on what went well, and what we will be focus<strong>in</strong>g on over the com<strong>in</strong>g months. I’ve written previously about a survey we undertook, ask<strong>in</strong>g residents where they felt we should direct our grant money for local charity and community groups. They identified two priority areas, youth services for 11–18-year-olds, and adult mental health and wellbe<strong>in</strong>g support. As a result, we have now launched a commission<strong>in</strong>g programme, <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g £45,000 over three years <strong>in</strong> three projects that will deliver services relat<strong>in</strong>g to these two groups. Br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g services and support to Burntwood is someth<strong>in</strong>g we know is important to residents, and we are look<strong>in</strong>g forward to award<strong>in</strong>g these grants to successful projects very soon. As well as award<strong>in</strong>g grants to local charities and community groups, we are also <strong>in</strong>credibly proud to be relaunch<strong>in</strong>g the Burntwood Town Council Student Award <strong>in</strong> memory of Stephen Sutton MBE. The young talent we have <strong>in</strong> our town is someth<strong>in</strong>g to be proud of, from budd<strong>in</strong>g footballers to talented musicians, and we want to be able to help support young people achieve their goals. Two awards of £1,000 are available for 11-19 years olds, 10 Invest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Community By Darren Ennis, Leader of Burntwood Town Council who live <strong>in</strong> Burntwood, to help with the cost of th<strong>in</strong>gs like specialist equipment, competition fees, extra tuition or coach<strong>in</strong>g. Applications close on Sunday 22nd <strong>October</strong>, and the application form is available to download on our website. As well as <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> our community, we cont<strong>in</strong>ue to focus on runn<strong>in</strong>g events throughout the year. Our monthly Producer’s Markets have been a huge success, runn<strong>in</strong>g from April through to <strong>October</strong>. The market not only br<strong>in</strong>gs great products to Burntwood and supports the local shops at Sankey’s Corner, but it br<strong>in</strong>gs people together. I absolutely love attend<strong>in</strong>g them and although I never <strong>in</strong>tend to be there for hours, there’s always so many amaz<strong>in</strong>g people to meet and chat with that it becomes hard to leave. Burntwood is a fantastic community and we have some amaz<strong>in</strong>g local charities and community groups work<strong>in</strong>g hard to support our town. For them be able to do all the brilliant th<strong>in</strong>gs they do, they need volunteers, so we have been work<strong>in</strong>g with Support Staffordshire to br<strong>in</strong>g a Volunteer Fair to Burntwood for the first time. The Fair will be held on Tuesday 17th <strong>October</strong>, 1pm-3:30pm at Burntwood Leisure Centre. Volunteer<strong>in</strong>g is a great way to meet new people, share your skills, develop some news ones and support our town, and this event will be a great opportunity for residents to come along and f<strong>in</strong>d out about how they can get <strong>in</strong>volved. Further <strong>in</strong>formation on all of our events and opportunities can be found by follow<strong>in</strong>g Burntwood Town Council on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or on our website at www.burntwood-tc.gov.uk
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