Suffolk: New Campaign Promotes Exercise

17 February 2012, 10:33 | Updated: 17 February 2012, 10:47

Community leaders in Suffolk pledged today to work together to make the county the most active in England.

In a long term campaign that will seek to bring to Suffolk more key sporting events and external funding, they hope to create a lasting exercise legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Most Active County initiative aims to reduce health inequality, preventable illnesses and improve life chances while boosting Suffolk’s economy through major sporting events. 

Recent figures show almost half of adults in the county are physically inactive and just one in five people take part in recommended levels of sport and activity.  One in every six 11-year-olds is also obese.

Key partners include Suffolk County Council, NHS Suffolk, Healthy Ambitions Suffolk, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, ITFC Trust, Suffolk Sport and the government’s community sport body Sport England.

Suffolk Sport chair Bill Tancred commented, "I think the Most Active County is a fantastic initiative, which Suffolk Sport is very proud to be part of.  We are looking forward to working with a wide range of similar minded organisations to ensure Suffolk has a healthy, active future."

They will work together to build on the sporting activities already taking place in Suffolk this year to promote healthy and active lifestyles and tackle barriers to participation.

Sally Davies, the government’s chief medical officer, explained, "Whatever our age, there is good scientific evidence that being physically active can lead to healthier and even happier lives. The challenge is to work across communities, bringing together all those organisations with a part to play to make physical activity not just an aspiration."