Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing

Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing Award

Jubilee Hall Trust – Joint winner for Active Ageing in St. James’s ward

The winners with Karen Pickering

(left) and Cllr Steve Summers (right)

Subsidised dance classes in community venues across St. James’s ward have helped older people to improve their health through physical activity. The project delivered 219 free classes from ballroom to bollywood available at The Abbey Centre, Age UK and Jubilee Hall. Nearly 1,400 people took part including 96% aged over 50 and 29% over 70.

At the end of the project 89% of residents said they were more active now than before they started the classes and 92% had noticed improvements in their general health or fitness. The improvements shown included: ‘more agile’, ‘happier’, ‘greater mobility’, ‘supple joints’ ‘general wellbeing’, ‘relief of pains’, ‘more flexibility’, ‘walk much faster’ and ‘improved concentration’. The impact on mental health was perceived as just as important as physical health.

The project was part-funded by the Neighbourhoods Ward budget, supplemented by the Jubilee Hall Trust, with the venues donating free room hire and administration.

The Abbey Centre - Joint winner

Anessa makes the Abbey Centre’s weekly ballroom dancing lessons fun and satisfying due to her cheerful personality, unending patience and encouragement.

The class is made up of men and women of all ages with varying degrees of fitness. As well as helping older people to learn the dances, Anessa takes them through simple exercises to improve posture and balance.

Open Age - highly commended

Open Age is a user-led charity that provides physical activity classes to increase health and wellbeing amongst older people. Their work has also helped to reduce loneliness and isolation amongst older people.

A huge variety of classes cater for all abilities from chair exercises to Tai Chi, Zumba dancing and outdoor bowling and this year 100% of evaluated participants stated that they had improved their wellbeing as a result of attending classes.

Open Age works with its partners including the council, NHS, Nuffield Health, leisure centres and community venues. It also leads the Positively Physical Partnership with Local Area Renewal Partnerships and Voluntary Sector organisations in North Westminster. They have developed links with the Falls Prevention Service, giving regular talks to encourage people to join an exercise class once they have completed the falls prevention course.

Open Age is user led with trustees elected from its older members and consults users about the activities they want.