A NEW project to help kinship care families get active and improve their lifestyle has kicked off.

The three year project, led by national charity Grandparents Plus in partnership with Teesside University and Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation, was awarded National Lottery funding by Sport England as part of a national programme to help low income families get active with their children.

An event held at Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation’s Herlingshaw Centre took place on Thursday to help families where a grandparent or other relative has stepped in to raise children whose parents aren’t able to care for them

With over half being grandparents, kinship carers often struggle to maintain active lifestyles, and a recent survey showed that 32 per cent of carers were worried about their physical or mental health and their ability to carry out their caring role.

Ancha Stoodley, programmes manager at Grandparents Plus, said: “We’re really excited to get this project off the ground.

"While we’ve been working with kinship carers across Teesside for a number of years, this is the first time we’ve been able to do something focussed on increasing activity, so we’re really grateful to National Lottery players and our partners at Teesside University and Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation for making it possible."