“Ideas won’t keep. Something must be done about them.” – Alfred North Whitehead
THE SPARK
Everything throughout human history starts with an idea, a spark which when pushed can become something small, great and innovative. In 2019 ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) granted iCan, through ACTion with Communities in Cumbria, £9,856 for a pilot project to increase activity levels and improve Social Isolation in Rural Cumbria. The Project was named iCan Be Active.
iCAN BE ACTIVE
Working with Rural Communities and the local residents, we discovered the biggest struggle was accessing exercise and health classes directly in their area without the need to travel and finding “a class” all ages could attend. We aimed to support individuals who, for whatever reason, had disengaged, or had lost motivation in maintaining a healthier lifestyle and their wellbeing. We focussed on all ages (5+) and a range of abilities.
iCan provided 6-week courses in 6 Rural Cumbrian Communities aiming to attract 10 community members per course, per community. The Beneficiaries would receive:
• Initial Consultation and Introduction: A group chat about their needs, goals, how they feel about themselves, their physical wellbeing and how iCan Health & Fitness CIC could support them.
• 6 weeks of 30-minute Rebounding classes - handlebars provided for those requiring additional support.
• 6 weeks of 30-minute guided conversations about health and wellbeing – A different topic each week based on qualified professional and beneficiary suggestions.
• Weight and Measurement support on weeks 1 and 6.
• iCan’s Live Well Guide – Check out ‘More From iCan’ on the W.O.W homepage
• Before and after photos for the beneficiary to see their improvement throughout their iCan experience.
Member Mentors helped to create, produce and deliver the project.
PROGRAMME SUCCESS & FEEDBACK
· 62 Participants joined the project
· 60 participants completed the full 6-week project
· 6 participants joined iCan Health & Fitness to continue their Health & Wellbeing journey
· 36 sessions provided across the County
· 90% confirmed they felt more connected with their local community and/or less socially isolated thanks to the project.
· 67% confirmed they have made at least one friend whilst on the project
· 92% confirmed they felt more motivated to stay active
· 100% said they enjoyed the experience of attending regular exercise and wellbeing sessions
· 60% lost over 4lbs during the project
SPARKING W.O.W
Whilst the project came to an end, one of the members loved the Rebounding so much she became an iCan Member Mentor, running her own Rebounding sessions in Longtown 3 days a week. The result of the Outreach Programme and Michelle’s commitment to the Longtown Rebounding sessions sparked an idea for us at iCan. How can we make Rebounding, Health & Wellbeing accessible for everyone?
This sparked the idea of the W.O.W Facility. To find out more read ‘The W.O.W Story So Far’ on the W.O.W Homepage
For further information on the iCan Be Active Project read the ‘The iCan Way of Thinking – ACRE Rural Project’ Blog Post over on the iCan Health & Fitness CIC website
W.O.W "Empowering You To Live A Healthier Lifestyle"
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