Active Oadby and Wigston's post-Covid vision to improve community wellbeing with physical activities

The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on how important social life and exercise are for people´s physical and mental health, according to an activities group in Leicester.

Active Oadby and Wigston is an organisation that aims to deliver programmes to get residents within the borough to improve their health and wellbeing.

Ross Levy, Community Health and Improvement Officer for Active Oadby and Wigston, said: “A group walk for an hour around the park with the sun shining, reduces isolation and improves mental and physical wellbeing. It is fantastic to have that opportunity.”

Group walks are one of their programmes

Seven district councils in Leicester have similar teams to Active Oadby and Wigston and share the same inspiration to increase activity for their residents.  The organisation has a close partnership with the NHS (National Health Service) and operates a lot on the module of social prescribing, which is basically a prescription by medical practitioners to someone to do an activity. Mr Levy continued: “It is brilliant for people in our programme that have been referred because of low mood or bereavement etc.”  The group walk is a growing concept within the organisation that has a powerful sense of community and commitment.  Mr Levy added: “It is lovely how something as accessible as walking can have such a significant difference to people’s lives who participate.” After the Covid isolation, people have been excited to get back out and enjoy gentle exercise and have a chat with people from different walks of life. Mr Levy believes people have learned from Covid isolation and social exclusion that it is important to raise awareness of this organisation and for people to know their opportunities and what is available to them in their communities. Within the programme, participants have a close community with WhatsApp group chats where they inspire and cheer each other on.  Most of Active Oadby and Wigston’s programmes are free of charge or incredibly low cost.  Most activities have an age limit of 18 but they do more targeted activities for families, for example during February half term 2022 they organised family activity days in some of the social housing properties within the borough. There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer for students as well. The organisation is always looking for volunteers and urged students across De Montfort University (DMU) to contact Active Oadby and Wigston. For more information visit its website https://www.activeoadbywigston.org.uk