AN INITIATIVE to encourage an increase in physical activity in the county has been hailed as a success.

The ActiveHERE project team are celebrating their success in encouraging thousands of residents to become more physically active.

The service has engaged over 17,000 residents and over 100 different physical activity providers across Herefordshire, enabling people to sample a wide variety of holistic and sporting activities.

1,284 of these participants were physically inactive before using the service.

Led by Herefordshire Council, the three year initiative was one of 33 independently-evaluated pilot projects to receive a share of £13.8m government funding through the Sport England ‘Get Healthy Get Active’ campaigns.

The project was designed to reduce the risk of preventable health conditions by supporting adults who are physically inactive to become active by sampling suitable local activities.

Herefordshire’s Director of Public Health, Karen Wright said: “We would like to thank everyone involved in the ActiveHERE project, including the project team and the participants who have helped to make the programme a fantastic success.

“Well done to those people who have successfully made changes to become more physically active, which will help them stay well for longer.

“Our team has been able to see first-hand the difference that activity can make to someone’s life, in particular to people that may not have exercised before or for a number of years.

“If you would like help to become more physically active, the ActiveHERE team are on hand to provide personalised support. They can help you to find suitable activities near to where you live and offer professional advice and support along the way to help you achieve your goals.

“To find out more about the activities available in your area or to book a free appointment call the team on 01432 383567 or visit www.wisherefordshire.org and search for Active HERE.”