Community outreach programme launches in North Kesteven

Last week, 'Better' leisure centres in North Kesteven launched their community outreach programme.

The new scheme brings free junior sporting activities, over 50s exercise classes, and health checks to village halls and recreation grounds within the North Kesteven area.

The first destination was Heighington, a village with a population of approximately 3,000 with a strong community 'vibe'.

The day began with an early morning session aimed at kids aged 4-7. They took part in activities which included sports day-themed races and various ball games which kept them active and thoroughly entertained for the duration of the session. Twenty-one children took part.

The next event was for juniors aged 8-15 who participated in races and small-sided games, and tried sports such as Pickleball and seated volleyball which they'd never heard of! We saw plenty of healthy competition among the fourteen youngsters who came along.

Lastly, Better staff joined forces with the Heighington Bowls Club who were really keen to take the opportunity to promote their activities. The bowls committee was over the Moon to see how well the kids engaged with their sport as they had struggled in previous attempts to encourage the wider community to get involved. Just by talking to the parents whose children attended our event this morning, they have managed to attract five or six new faces to their open day which takes place every Friday.

Jamie Cheevers, Community Sports Officer in the region, comments, "Overall, the morning was a fantastic success for parents, children, the bowls club and the Heighington community as whole. We received some really positive and encouraging feedback from the parents and they were really keen to see more events like this in the future.

"We plan to build on what has been achieved with this launch and continue developing our relationship with the harder-to-reach communities of North Kesteven."

The following events have been scheduled -

· Tuesday 13th August – Nocton village (Junior activities)

· Friday 30th August – Washingborough village (Junior, Over 50’s activities & Health checks)

· September TBC – Heckington & Little Hale

Leisure centres in North Kesteven are run by charitable social enterprise GLL under the 'Better' brand. Supporting the wellbeing of local communities is an important part of the organisation's ethos.