Blackpool Council reveal events for Get Out Get Active launch week

Active Blackpool from Blackpool Council has revealed details of the Get Out Get Active (GOGA) programme launch week.

Blackpool is one of a number of areas delivering GOGA, which encourages both disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together.

The upcoming launch, which will take place in the week commencing Monday 2 August, will celebrate new partnerships and thank those who have attended the limited number of activities held throughout the coronavirus pandemic, which unfortunately delayed the programme’s official launch in the summer of 2020.

Initial day one activities will include:

• A family fun afternoon at Blackpool Sports Centre for families working with social care services, celebrating social workers and their families who have made positive improvements in their home setting. This will feature an athletics event for families on the sports track

• A walking group session at The Hub in South Shore, featuring a tea and coffee gathering

• A health walk for partner organisations that have provided support to the GOGA team since the programme’s launch

The launch week will see the team deliver wider activities across Blackpool, including a ‘PING!’ bat and brew table tennis session at Palatine Leisure Centre, which will also offer participants the chance to give feedback to the GOGA team on how the programme can best support individuals to stay active in their community. Further pop-up PING! events around Blackpool will be scheduled in the near future.

Later in the week, Blackpool Better Start, which regularly runs free Early Years Park Ranger sessions delivering outdoor play and learning experiences for children, will also team up with GOGA to provide activities for families with children aged 2-10 years at Revoe Park and Claremont Park.

The delivery of activity sessions for residents living in sheltered accommodation forms a key part of the GOGA framework. In partnership with Blackpool Coastal Housing, the GOGA team is developing plans to offer sustained doorstep support for local communities.

The launch week will also feature additional walks and coffee mornings, which will encourage residents to build friendships with each other as the Blackpool community starts to enjoy face-to-face interaction again following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

The week will round off with a family fun event at Blackpool Sports Centre, hosted in conjunction with local partner organisation More Positive Together, a Lancashire-wide project that aims to help residents of deprived areas improve their skills and employment prospects. Activities will include a sports day, cycling and multi-sports.

Booking information for all GOGA launch week activities can be found at www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/goga-blackpool-31929588445

Cllr Kath Benson, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Aspirations and Community Assets, said: “The Active Blackpool team are so passionate about GOGA and are really excited to drive forward their plans to create a healthier community in Blackpool. The great thing about GOGA is how inclusive it is – anyone can take part, regardless of ability.

“The chance to get outdoors and stay active has been limited over what has been a difficult past 18 months, which is why programmes like GOGA are vital in providing future opportunities for people to lead active and healthy lifestyles.

“There are plenty of family-friendly activities planned for launch week, and the team are hard at work preparing future initiatives, all of which will fit neatly within the current timetable. With lots of different activities and projects planned, there will be something for everyone.”

The GOGA programme will also provide fully-trained volunteer opportunities covering a range of roles, including peer mentoring to members of the community.

To find out more about GOGA, please visit www.getoutgetactive.co.uk