Belfast communities receive half a million from Active Belfast

The Belfast Strategic Partnership (BSP) Active Belfast team has awarded nearly half a million pounds to local community projects to address health inequalities.

Programmes in physical activity and nutrition will benefit from the funding boost, including Active Belfast’s successful ‘Jog Belfast’ scheme, which to date has had more than 2,000 participants get active.

Speaking at a recent Network Partnership and Knowledge Exchange Day, Séamus Mullen, the Public Health Agency’s Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement and Active Belfast Chair, said: “The Active Belfast Grants Scheme was set up to develop a community based approach to addressing some of the public health issues our society faces.

“In our society there are a significant number of adults who are inactive and in   Belfast 48% of adults undertake no physical activity in a typical week; so these programmes are vital in helping to promote a better approach to health and wellbeing and encourage people to be more active and healthier.”

The Network Partnership and Knowledge Exchange Day brought together organisations awarded Active Belfast grants and explored improved ways of working and encouraging better connectivity. This year £180,000 was awarded to organisations to deliver a programme under the themes of cycling and neighbourhoods for Active Belfast Grants Schemes.  

Also speaking at the Active Belfast Networking Day, Kim Kensett, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Senior Officer at Active Belfast encouraged everyone to work together to achieve the best outcomes for Belfast citizens: “The challenge for us all today is to consider how we can continue to be innovative; work together and involve people to be more active and healthier.

“Everyone deserves the best health possible and we can help them achieve that by providing the right opportunities and support.

The Active Belfast Grants Scheme is a significant opportunity to get more people, more active, more often. I encourage organisations from the community, voluntary, statutory and private sectors to apply for the next round of funding for their community.”