Healthy Living Sponsorship
Community 1st Oldham, where Equity Solutions is the private sector LIFT partner, launched a healthy living sponsorship programme in 2008, starting with a free Run4Fun event in Alexandra Park, designed to encourage participation in sport and raise awareness of healthy living. The run was led by former Commonwealth running champion Diane Modahl.
After successfully obtaining match funding from the National Sports Foundation, Community 1st Oldham has been able to support a range of ‘healthy living’ activities in partnership with Oldham Sports Physical Activity Alliance over the last three years, with further Run4Fun events taking place in Alexandra Park in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Equity Solutions through Community 1st Oldham also sponsors a climbing wall, along with Oldham Community Leisure, which tours local schools and community events. This has been a great success in getting young people to try a new physical activity.
In addition, Community 1st Oldham sponsors a programme of healthy living initiatives and events run by sports development charity StreetGames. In its first year the programme carried out over 650 sessions across Oldham, with over 16,000 attendances.
StreetGames, the national charity dedicated to developing doorstep sport in disadvantaged communities, won the Bronze at the Chief Medical Officer’s Public Health Awards in 2010.
StreetGames impressed the judges by demonstrating how doorstep sport can be used as an effective mechanism for tackling health inequalities, particularly in areas of deprivation.
In just three years the charity has generated over 1 million attendances through its network of doorstep sport projects. These community projects use volunteers to act as mentors and role models in their own neighbourhoods, inspiring younger children to get regularly involved with a range of sports and activities.
Community 1st Oldham is proud to be able to provide much needed additional sponsorship to support these worthwhile activities.
