Monday 9 July 2007
Giving the elderly a sporting chance

Older people in Bedford are proving that age is no barrier when it comes to being active after being short-listed for a top sporting award.

bpha's Fit@Sixty, which provides leisure activities for older residents across the town, has been shortlisted for a National Lottery Good Causes Award.

The awards recognise the best Lottery-funded projects across the country, and Fit@Sixty has been shortlisted from more than 640 entries to compete in the Best Sporting Project

Now members are asking local people to throw their weight behind their campaign, to help them notch up as many votes as possible and go through to the final for a chance to win the £2,000 prize.

Fit@Sixty was started by warden Janet Cook four years ago as a single class at a bpha sheltered scheme.

Today it offers around 17 classes each week, giving up to 130 older residents the chance to try new skills and take part in activities such as line dancing, chair-based exercise, curling, bowls and arts and crafts.

Many of the participants are in their 80s and 90s and this year some of the residents have taken on the running and marketing of the scheme themselves, by setting up a dedicated committee.

Mrs Cook, who continues to work with the scheme, said: "Fit@Sixty aims to encourage older people in Bedford to participate in leisure activities on a weekly basis, subsequently improving their health and sense of wellbeing.

"While there is greater national awareness than ever before of the importance of physical activity to maintain health and wellbeing, the needs of older people are often neglected.

"This project has truly made a difference to the lives of older people in the region. It has helped to improve their quality of life, enabling them to avoid ailments by exercising regularly."

Among the Fit@Sixty members is 78-year-old Winn Thompson, who takes part in regular line dancing sessions.

Mrs Thompson, who has arthritis in both legs, said: "Fit@Sixty has changed my life completely. I have something to look forward to every week, it helps my legs and I have far more friends than I have ever had.

"As a result of the line dancing I have also been able to go on holiday with a great crowd and meet people from all over the country.

"Although my health is not as good as it could be I am sure that I would not be able to get around as well as I do if I did not dance."

To vote for the Fit@Sixty project, visit bpha's website www.bpha.org.uk and click on the button at the bottom of the home page. Alternatively, call direct on 0845 3868126.

Voting closes on August 3 when the top three entries in each category will go through to the final round of public voting. The winner of each category will be awarded £2,000 and appear on a special BBC programme scheduled for this autumn.

To help drum up support, members of Fit@Sixty will be holding demonstrations in Bedford town centre over the coming weeks.