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Local residents enjoy chair-based exercise in Amber Valley with GOGA

Activity sessions that bring the community together in Amber Valley will continue into 2025 thanks to new funding.

A group of people stand in a village hall.

Thanks to backing of the GOGA programme from Sport England and London Marathon Foundation five locations across the country will continue to give the least active members of society the opportunity to join fun and inclusive activity sessions.

Chris Frost, GOGA Project Officer Amber Valley CVS, said:

"We are very happy and excited to be able to continue delivering the GOGA project into 2025 in Amber Valley.
 "For me I love the way GOGA has enabled disabled and non-disabled participants access to great activities in their local area without barriers. We have had fantastic feedback from participants telling us that for some it’s been life-changing."

In Amber Valley a 6-week pilot of a health and wellbeing drop-in service was started as part of Get Out Get Active. People in Somercotes were given the opportunity to access several health services on an informal basis, with patients of the local surgeries sent text messages promoting the events.

As part of the offer a free 6-week chair-based exercise class was set up which was very well received with the community. Attendees loved the option of chair based or standing depending on level of ability and mobility. The sessions were so successful they have continued ever since.

Chris added:

"We would like to thank Amber Valley Borough Council, Active Derbyshire, our brilliant team of social prescribers and all of our key activity partners for making the project as successful as it is so far on this journey.
 "Over the next six to eight months we are looking forward to developing new and exciting inclusive physical activity opportunities for our communities to access and enjoy. We have so much great work in the pipeline and can’t wait to deliver it locally."

Since its inception in 2016 GOGA has reached more than 55,000 people. The programme brings disabled and non-disabled people together to enjoy being active in fun and inclusive ways.

Sunderland, Wiltshire, Black Country, and Blackpool are the other regions that will continue to be part of the Get Out Get Active programme.