Get Yourself Active launches new Active Together film project

Get Yourself Active are making the videos available to encourage journalists, organisations, and disabled people to better understand the reality of getting active. They want these videos to be used as teaching resources in the social care and work sector, to break down barriers and support disabled people to be active in the ways they want. 

Get Yourself Active's extensive research has shown that the social care workforce are essential and trusted messengers to the people they support. Ultimately, if they understand more about the importance of physical activity and what is on offer, they will be better placed to help disabled people lead a more active life.

These videos will prove to be a valuable resource by tackling the barriers head-on. By providing social workers, care staff, and family members with the knowledge and tools to become agents of change. The videos are freely available on the Get Yourself Active Youtube channel and show:

• The reality of disabled people's participation in physical activity
• Disabled people and support and care workers showing examples of how they stay active together and how it benefits them all
• Disabled people talking about why physical activity is important to them and how they have been supported by their care/support worker
• Support or care workers talking about how they have supported disabled people to get physically active, opening up and being honest about what has helped, what challenges they may have faced and how they worked through these

Laura Horton, Programme Manager at Get Yourself Active, said:

"Get Yourself Active is delighted to have worked on this very important film project with the Rainbow Collective, Skills for Care, and organisations from the social care sector. We know that this sector and its workforce are vital facilitators of physical activity for many disabled people. We also know how important it is to challenge misconceptions around disability and physical activity, and these videos go a long way to support that."

Hannan Majid, from the Rainbow Collective, said:

"It was a pleasure to work on this exciting, rewarding and ultimately, politically urgent project. Working with the talented teams at Community Integrated Care and Trafford Choices was a pleasure, and their dedication to supporting disabled people to get active in ways that suit them jumps off the screen. 

"I have wanted to work with Get Yourself Active for a long time, and I am glad we could come together for this important project. Disabled people deserve to get active in ways that suit them, and I am very grateful to those who shared their experiences with us."

Oonagh Smyth, CEO, Skills for Care, said:

"We are proud to have worked with Get Yourself Active to highlight the benefits of physical activity for people with a physical disability, learning disability or autism. This video series will play an important role in supporting care workers in considering physical activity as part of care planning.

"Hearing from people who have benefited from the activities offered by their local community groups was a wonderful reminder of the difference our social care workers are making in people’s lives, and it’s so important that we continue to make strides forward in making physical activity easily accessible for everyone to enjoy with confidence."

David Fishwick, from Trafford Choices, said:

"Together with the Rainbow Collective and Get Yourself Active we have highlighted the issues with clients accessing activities for clients to get active which seems to be an ongoing issue for most. Trafford Choices plays an important part and role by signposting activities to the individual via working with third parties in the local area and the delivery of a wide and varied new active sessions as part of the provision.

"This then enables the possibility of clients attending external active sessions on midweek and weekends sessions in the local community, encouraging social skills and working towards a more healthier lifestyle."

Craig Thomason, Partnership and Communities Manager, from Community Integrated Care, said:

"Community Integrated Care are passionate about the impact getting active can have on the lives of the people we support. We know that if you have a disability, you are generally twice as likely to be physically inactive – despite a huge percentage of disabled people wanting to be more active.

"We’re extremely proud to be a part of this powerful video project, and alongside our partners believe it shows how high-quality, engaging and impactful active sessions can have a huge effect on the lives of both people accessing and working in social care."

The main film and other videos are available to watch on Get Yourself Active's YouTube channel. BSL translated and closed-captioned videos are also available.