Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) and the Active Communities Network (ACN) are launching the B Active programme in the wider Newport community – an initiative to increase physical activity as well as improve the lifestyles and prospects of young people aged 16-24, throughout the region.
The B Active programme will target young people who don’t currently have access to sport, with a youth-led activity programme running five days a week, 50 weeks of the year. Young people will be supported in leading informal sessions focusing on key health related issues such as diet, fitness and mental wellbeing.
The sessions aim to bring likeminded people together and drive grass-roots participation in sport and exercise, helping to achieve the programmes’ long-term ambition of engaging and inspiring young people through sport.
At the inaugural event at Newport Centre, more than 50 young people turned up for a two-hour session of social football, cheered on by senior figures in the Newport community, including Eleri Thomas – Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Steve Ward – Chief Executive Officer, Newport Live, Tracy McKim – Policy, Partnership and Involvement Manager, Newport City Council – and Rich Dando of Sport Wales.
Using community outreach, the B Active programme will seek to engage hundreds of young people in Newport and encourage young volunteers to challenge themselves with a view to earning nationally recognised accreditation for their efforts.
In a collaboration with the Open College Network and 1st4Sport, the ACN can offer volunteers of the programme in Newport, qualifications in enterprise, diversity & inclusion and developing community activities for youth at risk, to name a few.
As well as having a positive impact on the lives of young people, an academic partner will also undertake a three-year research study to closely examine behavioural change over this period to better inform government policy in the area.
Tracy McKim – Newport City Council Policy, Partnership and Involvement Manager said:
“It was great to be in attendance of the inaugural launch session of the B Active programme. We really believe that the young people of Newport will benefit from the leadership skills and responsibility involved in leading their peers and we’re looking forward to seeing the progress of the programme in the area.”
Karl Reed – Newport Live Head of Sport & Physical Activity Development:
“Active Communities Network has established a great team in Newport and we’ve seen a real growth in our community of young people in recent years – the turn out this evening saw more than 50 young people down on the indoor pitches for the social football tournament. With the support of Lucozade Ribena Suntory, we’ll be able to extend our work with the launch of B Active, a new programme for 16-24-year olds, and we can’t wait more sessions like this take off.”
Bashdar Haidari Ibradhaim who attended the inaugural session, enthused: “It’s cool to have somewhere to go and play sport with other young guys my age – and run by guys of a similar age too. I’ll be coming back to the Friday football sessions like this for sure.”
The B Active programme is delivered by Active Communities Network and funded by Lucozade Ribena Suntory, one of the UK’s leading soft drinks manufacturers. The programme is part of the company’s ambitious health and wellbeing plan that aims to get one million people moving more by 2020.
Matched funding partners of the Movement Fund’s B Active programme include Big Lottery, secured by Active Communities Network.
