HEALTH AIMS: Brendan Foster, left, with Tessa Jowell and Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe
A SCHEME to improve the
health of a town yesterday received
Government backing.
Darlington was the first UK
town to pioneer the Great Activity
Revolution which, over the
next four years, in the lead-up to
the 2012 Olympics, will develop a
network of mass-participation
sporting events in the UK.
The scheme, the idea of North-
East sportsman Brendan Foster,
was yesterday endorsed by Government
ministers at a launch in
London.
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell
said: "Lots of people want to
get fitter, but the hardest thing
is often putting on your trainers
and taking that first crucial step
to turn a wish into a reality.
"That is why Brendan's imaginative
campaign is so terrific,
motivational and simple and will
be so effective."
In January, Darlington signedup
for the campaign after Mr Foster
pitched his idea to Darlington
Partnership, the organisation
that unites the public, private
and voluntary sectors in the
town.
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It is hoped the campaign will
By Jim Entwistle
jim.entwistle@nne.co.uk
encourage mass participation in
easily accessible activities, including
running, swimming, cycling,
walking, gym and dance,
while raising money for charity.
Mr Foster said: "Inactivity is a
ticking timebomb which puts the
health of our entire nation under
threat. The UK is less fit than it
has ever been, and when research
shows our children have a shorter
life expectancy than their parents,
we simply have to do something.
"By encouraging people to
enter mass participation events,
they can have fun getting fit and
also raise money for a number of
our charity partners."
Mass-participation events
planned in Darlington include a
10km run, swimathon and dance
festival, all under the scheme's
Taking to the Streets campaign.
Steve Rose, the chief executive of
Darlington Partnership, said:
"We are delighted to be part of
the Taking to the Streets brand
and looking forward to engaging
as many people, especially
younger and older people, as we
can.
"Anything that can bring together
different activities which
involve groups of people getting
fit has got to be a good thing."
The launch coincides with the
introduction of the Great Activity
website greatactivity.org
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